Owner of Stray Dogs Centre UAQ to invest Emirates Draw winnings in helping rescue animals

Amirah William says she never expected to win the Dh77,777 prize

New Zealander Amirah William, 53, owner of Stray Dogs Centre Umm Al Quwain, won Dh77,777. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Winners of this week's Emirates Draw have said they will use the Dh77,000 windfall to help other people and take care of abandoned animals.

While many lottery winners would spend their good fortune on fancy clothes, expensive gadgets, and sun-kissed holidays, some of this week's winners of Dh77,777 in the draw have said they will support various causes.

Amirah William, 53, owner of Stray Dogs Centre Umm Al Quwain, said she would put her winnings into her charitable business, to provide for the pets that she and her team rescue across the UAE.

Ms William, from New Zealand, said she never expected to win in the draw.

“I applied for the draw online and I was completely shocked when I saw that I won," she said.

"I previously won small prizes here and there, but I never really expected to win this Dh77,777 amount.”

Helping a single father put children through university

Jacob Avis initially thought it was a scam when he was told he had won. Photo: Emirates Draw

The second winner in the Emirates Draw was Jacob Avis, 53, a widower and father of three daughters.

He couldn’t believe his luck when he received the email confirming his Dh77,777 win and initially thought it was a scam.

“I lost my wife to cancer four and a half years ago and now I’m doing whatever I can to support my three daughters as a single parent,” Mr Avis said.

“Words cannot express my joy and it will surely help cover part of the university cost for my children.”

Iranian Behrouz Parsaei Jam, 49, was the third winner.

A regular player of the Emirates Draw since its launch in 2021, the father of two said he had his eyes on the grand prize so his family can live comfortably without having to worry about money ever again.

“I was happy but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping that I would win the Dh100 million grand prize,” Mr Jam said.

“Of course, I am grateful that I won, but I will keep trying until I will eventually win the ultimate prize.”

Emirates Draws are held every Sunday and live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook, with seven lucky participants each winning Dh77,777.

The Dh100 Million Grand Prize, the largest in the region, is still up for grabs to be claimed by a single person or group of people who match all seven numbers.

People can participate in the weekly draw by buying a Dh50 pencil that will support the planting of corals. After registering online, participants can select their seven-digit number or have the system choose a number randomly.

Lottery winners tell how jackpot changed their lives

UAE residents who struck lucky with Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw attended a gala dinner. Organisers of the draw celebrated the winners' good luck at the Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina. All photos by Leslie Pableo / The National

Richard Isaac and Bouchra Yamani, the two presenters who pick out the raffle tickets and call the winners, interacted with the winners. Some of attendees had won jackpots of between Dh1 million to Dh15 million, while others won Dh90,000

'The National' spoke to winners about how they have spent their grand prize. Shivamurthy Gali Krishnappa won Dh12 million last month. He said he wants to save for his children's future. For now, he is still working as a mechanical engineer for a stainless steel production company

Shahed Ahmed Moulvifaiz, a Bangladeshi car garage owner in Al Ain, won Dh10 million less than a week ago. He wants to bring his family to the UAE, expand his business and spend on his youngest son's education

Jayaprakash Mariyan Philip had won the Dh1 million prize with nine other people. The funds were split equally, leaving him with Dh100,000. He said he has paid off part of his bank loans

Zaheenn Kausar was visiting her husband in Abu Dhabi from Pakistan, when he bought a ticket under her name. She proved lucky for her family after winning Dh90,000. She wants to pay for her daughter's university tuition and buy a car for herself

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 5,000 people would gather during a live event in Abu Dhabi to watch the draw take place. Since 2020, the draw streams live on social media channels, bringing in even larger crowds

Many people buy multiple tickets together and then split the prize equally. There are also those who win after buying a ticket alone, allowing them to keep the entire jackpot

The Abu Dhabi Big Draw has been changing lives since 1992

The ticket for the grand prize costs Dh500