This time, practice makes perfect.

Engineer Ross Laird has been buying Heart & Stroke Lottery tickets since 2000.

When he received a mailing for the Heart & Stroke Lottery, “I knew that the money used to purchase my ticket would go to fund life-saving Heart & Stroke initiatives.” He adds, “My dad had a few heart attacks, and a bypass extended his quality of life. I also have a niece recovering from a heart attack so it’s a good fit.”

At work when his million dollar winning call came, he ducked into a phone room, keeping his reaction subdued: “I didn’t jump up and down and click my heels together. I didn’t tell anybody.” Driving home with his son, who works with him as a summer student, he stopped to buy a bottle of champagne. At home, he poured drinks for his wife, daughter, son and himself.

Of his winnings, he’s planning to help his kids get a foothold in the real estate market, along with taking a trip to visit his wife’s family in China. “It’s a great cause, and if you want to win, you have to practice.”