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

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.

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