Colorado man who won $5 million in lottery says first purchase was a watermelon

Who wants to be a melon-aire?

A 77-year-old Colorado man won more than $5 million last week and the first thing he decided to purchase was a watermelon — and flowers for his wife.

Waldemar “Bud” T., an avid outdoorsman from Montrose, had been away on a hiking trip through the Holy Cross Wilderness with his golden retriever when the winning Colorado Lotto+ jackpot digits were drawn on Sept. 6. 

When he returned home, the lucky winner learned that he was $5,067,041 richer after checking the lottery’s website.

“It must be a mistake,” he told the Colorado Lottery he’d initially thought.

Bud chose to take the lump sum cash option of $2,533,520. The first thing he bought? — a ripe watermelon for himself and a bouquet for his wife, he said.

He said his wife has some upcoming surgeries the winnings will help cover, but besides some simple fruit and flowers, he has no other plans besides looking to give back.

“I’m going to give to some charities and really think about what it is I was meant to do with this,” he said.

Bud, who always plays his top-secret lucky numbers, purchased the winning ticket at the Hangin Tree Travel Plaza in Montrose.