Jose Lima’s huge lottery win didn’t go to his head. It went to his heart. He shared his $14.5 million Lotto 6/49 win with the community that he has been serving 7 days a week for the last 23 years. Known in the neighbourhood as “Joe the Butcher”, Mr. Lima gave away over 22,000 kilograms of chicken legs worth over $30,000 on Thursday, April 3rd, the 5th anniversary of his father’s death. Approximately 5,000 people stood in line outside the O Nosso Talho butcher shop on Bloor St. W, east of Dufferin Street, many for over 2 hours.

On third of the chicken legs were sent to the second O Nosso Talho location on Dundas Street West where hundreds of people were lined up as well. Each person who lined up received a 10-pound bag of chicken legs. The butcher shop finally closed at 8:00 PM depleted of chicken legs.

When Mr. Lima began buying lottery tickets 10 years ago he made a promise to share the wealth with his employees and his customers if he ever hit it big. Good to his word, each of the 50 employees in the two O Nosso Talho locations received $5,000 gifts.

With a windfall of $14.5 million, most of us would retire post haste, but not Mr. Lima. He is however planning to slow down from 7 days a week to working 2 – 4 hour a day for 4 or 5 days a week. And he is going to start taking golf lessons so that he can get out and play with his brother Julio. Don’t you just love it when nice things happen to good people?