PEI

P.E.I. woman wins $1 million — thanks to bird droppings

A P.E.I. woman who bought a lottery ticket at a car wash after crows pooped on her van is P.E.I.'s newest millionaire.

Shelly Campbell waited a month before claiming lotto prize because she wanted to surprise son

Shelly Campbell and her husband, Jim, right, received the $1 million cheque Wednesday from John Arsenault of Red Shores in Summerside.

There's an old superstition that says if a bird poops on you or your possessions, it will bring good luck.

That was certainly the case for a woman from Tyne Valley, P.E.I., who won $1 million from Atlantic Lotto.

Shelly Campbell was visiting Victoria Park in Charlottetown last November when her white van was targeted by crows. She stopped at a car wash in Summerside and while there, she bought a Lotto 649 ticket with Atlantic 49 as an add-on.

I love surprises.— Shelly Campbell

It turned out to be worth $1 million.

"I probably stopped hating the crows now," she said during the cheque presentation on Wednesday in Summerside.

A surprise for her family

She didn't claim her prize right away. Instead, she waited about a month because she wanted to surprise her son, who was coming to visit for the holidays.

Shelly Campbell, right, smiles after being introduced as P.E.I.'s newest millionaire by Abbey MacDonald of Atlantic Lottery. (Atlantic Lottery/Facebook)

"I love surprises," she said. "It was worth waiting to see the surprise on his face. He did not believe me initially but eventually he did."

Campbell, who is originally from Nevis in the Caribbean, has lived in P.E.I. for 28 years.

She said she will use the money to help pay for her daughter's university education, and plans to donate some to charity.