A Mother's Day like no other as Emirates Draw participants celebrate big winnings

Hagargi was one number away from receiving the Grand Prize of AED100M

Three mothers had an extra special Mother's Day after winning with Emirates Draw, with one participant winning AED 777,777 - meaning that she was one number away from receiving the historic Grand Prize of AED100 million.

"I was watching the YouTube live stream with my family, and we couldn't believe it when each number on the screen matched the ones I chose. My son was the first to jump for joy and we followed him a few seconds later," said Shivaleela Santosh Hagargi, an Indian housewife who has lived in Ajman for 15 years, laughing.

The mother of two is another winner to have matched six out seven numbers in Emirates Draw’s main draw to receive AED 777,777. Shivaleela revealed that she had used her husband’s birthday each time she participated through purchasing an AED50 pencil in support of the socially responsible organisation’s Coral Reef Restoration Programme.

"It still feels like a dream; it's an unbelievable experience. Things started to feel real when I received an email and a phone call from an Emirates Draw representative confirming that I had won. We plan to pay off our loans and then use the remaining amount for our children's education,"Hagargi, who has been regularly participating since Emirates Draw’s launch'.

She revealed that they plan to celebrate with family back home during summer holidays, and that they will continue to participate in the hope of winning the Grand Prize.

"I think I'll try using my birthday next time since my husband's seemed to be lucky. God willing, I may win the AED100 million Grand Prize next time. If I do, we will use the winnings to support our family and relatives as well as make my husband's dream to build a hospital for the poor in our village a reality," the 33-year-old said, smiling.

Lucky Aisa R. King also felt joy and disbelief when she discovered that she had won AED 77,777 by matching five out of seven numbers in the main draw. The mother of four was feeding her one-and-half-year-old daughter late in the evening when she received the congratulatory email.

"I couldn't believe it…I'm still processing it actually," the 37-year-old Filipina expatriate said, in shock. She added: "I woke my husband up after confirming that I had won through the website, but he didn’t quite process everything, so I had to reconfirm that I had won while we were getting ready in the morning, after he told me that he dreamt about it. He was surprised since he didn't know that I was participating with Emirates Draw."

Lucky, who is a brand coordinator for a retail company, revealed that her participation was a spur of the moment decision.

"I was supposed to go to the salon to get ready for Mother’s Day, but I couldn't go because my mother was visiting a friend so instead, I used the money to buy two tickets using my birthday and my husband’s birthday as the entry numbers," she said.

King and her husband plan to use the AED 77,777 to purchase land in the Philippines to fulfil her dream of owning a farm as well as helping family members. They will also use a portion of the winnings to travel back home during the summer to celebrate with family and friends.

"Right now, I really can probably say I have lived up to my name, Lucky! I’m more motivated than ever to keep participating, and I’ve encouraged friends and cousins to participate too. If I win the AED100 million Grand Prize, I hope to use the money to buy a house in the Philippines as well as start a business. My husband wants to open a resort, but I’d prefer to have a farm with fruit-bearing trees and a fishery. We'd also send my son to aviation college since it’s his dream to be a pilot; he’s currently working with my husband in an apprenticeship," Lucky, who has lived in Dubai for 18 years, said.

Fellow Filipina mother Jeanette Millary was at home feeling unwell when she got a phone call from Emirates Draw that lifted her spirits.

"I jumped for joy when I found out that I had won AED 77,777. I messaged my husband right after speaking with an Emirates Draw representative and even sent a screenshot from the website to confirm that it was real," the mother of six said, laughing.

Jeanette revealed that she had been participating since September 2021, but it was the first time she had won. She plans to use her winnings to secure her children’s education as well as send an amount to her mother and donate a portion to her church in the Philippines.

"This experience proved to me that if you have patience and courage then one day you can achieve something great. Three of my children are currently in high school, so I plan to use some of the winning amount to pay their tuition. I have two children who are married with children of their own and one child who is living with my mother in the Philippines. God willing, if I win the AED100 million Grand Prize, then I will use it to secure all their futures as well as give funds to my four siblings so they can start their own businesses," Millary, an export consultant who has lived in Dubai for 14 years and mother of six, said.

Regardless of what may come, Jeanette noted that she’s content to celebrate in the present with her loved ones.

"Thank you Emirates Draw for giving me such a special Mother's Day gift, I’ll never forget it, and thank you for giving me this chance of a lifetime," she said.

To date, over AED 20 million has been presented in prize money to over 14,000 winners since the organization's inception in September 2021. The unique structure of Emirates Draw distinguishes it from other draws in that the grand prize remains at AED100 million until a single person or a group of people match all seven numbers at which point the grand prize resets to AED 77,777,77.

It is the largest Grand Prize in UAE history and till now remains available, giving optimistic participants another chance to try for the life-changing amount; the next round will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 27th, 2022, at 9pm UAE time.

How to play?

Entrants can choose to participate in the weekly draw by purchasing a AED50 pencil that will support in planting coral polyps at www.emiratesdraw.com. After registering online, participants can select their seven-digit number or have the system choose their number randomly.

With their purchase, participants are entered into two separate drawings, the first a raffle draw where every week seven lucky participants are guaranteed AED 77,777 each. In addition, all participants will be entered into a second draw with six prize categories that include a Grand Prize of AED100 million when all seven numbers are matched.

The next draw will be live streamed across its digital platforms, YouTube and Facebook.

Be the next lucky winner and book your numbers early!

For more information, please call the toll-free number 800 77 777 777.

• Dubai