A recent University of Alberta graduate is $1 million richer after winning a local contest aimed at getting people to save money and improve their financial fitness.
Andrew Buchner, 24, is the winner of the Servus Credit Union Big Share Contest, which saw Albertans compete to save money. The more members saved, the more contest entries they earned.
“It still hasn’t settled in,” Buchner said. “It’s only really started being real, it’s getting there.”
Buchner, who said he started saving money when he was 10, was on vacation in Montreal when he got the call telling him he won the contest. He said at first, he thought the bank was calling to tell him there was an issue with his account. News he won $1 million was a pleasant surprise.
“It’s still kind of hard to describe how you’re feeling,” he said.
Buchner is an engineer who is working in the construction industry. He recently graduated from university debt-free. He said he plans on saving the money for the future.
“More than anything this mean security, it means not having to worry about anything that might come up in the future. It also means a little bit more freedom to do what I want or what I need down the line. It’s security,” he said.
Servus Credit Union will off the Big Share Contest again in 2020. For more information on the contest, head to Servus Credit Union’s website.