Over more than 32 years working the lottery booth at Victoria Square Shopping Centre, Ken Dorsch has seen it all — million-dollar ticket winners, fashion trends from crop tops to cargo pants, and a whole lot of change.
“When I first started there was a lot of manual labour. We had to take tickets home with us and count them all. Now it’s all done on the machine, basically,” Dorsch said during a small retirement party at the mall Tuesday.
“Over the years there’s been so many changes here. A lot of stores have come and gone. Now it seems to be coming back to life. I’m hoping that’s going to keep on going.”
But the highlight of that career may have come just a month before it ended.
With retirement already in sight, Dorsch decided to play a $10 ticket while waiting for business to pick up one morning.
That ticket won him a cool $250,000.
“I was shocked to say the least. It worked out fantastic for me. I’ll add it to my retirement dreams,” said Dorsch.
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“This thing changed my outlook on what I’m going to do. Right now I’m investing most of it and maybe saving some to buy a vehicle and a few other small things.”
Mall marketing coordinator Jordan Myers says while it was nice to see Dorsch go out with a bang, his presence will be missed around the concourse.
“It’s tough shoes to fill. Almost everyone here knows him. He really was a staple of this mall,” Myers said.
“When I first started here Ken was the first person to take the time to get to know me and talk to me. He’d be my go-to if I wanted to know more about the mall, or what I could do to improve. Without his insight I’m not sure .”
Dorsch says he’ll continue to visit the mall in retirement, to visit with friends and to continue dining at beloved food court spots like Trifon’s Pizza and Supreme China Bistro (Kraut Haven was his go-to spot, but the well known vendor ended its own multi-decade run at the mall last year).
He says he’ll probably stop by his old lottery booth as well, to reminisce on a career he says he’s been lucky to have and maybe buy a few more tickets too.
“I enjoyed the work. I was pretty much my own boss, you know, and the years flew by. What more can a person ask?” Dorsch reflected.
“It’s been a good life so far.”
The lottery booth, which is run through an agreement with Sask Lotteries, will continue to operate.
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