Calgary lotto winner Tom Crist starts to dole out $40M prize

The Tom Baker Cancer Centreis the first recipient of winnings from the Calgary lottery player who won $40 million and pledged to give it all away.

Tom Crist said Monday he was planning to donatehis winnings in honour of his wife, Jan, who died of cancer.The couple were married for 33 years when Jan passed away in February 2012.

• WATCH |Calgary lotto winner Tom Crist to give $40M prize away
• LISTEN | Tom Cristtalks about the win and where it's going

On Tuesday,Cristgave $1.2 million to theAlberta Cancer Foundation, which collects donations for Calgary's Tom Baker Cancer Centre, where Jan was treated before her death.

Alberta Cancer Foundation CEOMykaOsinchukfirst found out aboutCrist's intentions through media reports.

"My first thought this morning was thats amazing; my second was: I wonder if he knows what hes done.'"

Osinchuksaidthey were all abit stunned by the donation and very grateful.

"Whether the money goes to the Tom Baker or the cancer centre or any other worthy cause, Imean, this is just a man whoshould be congratulated," she said.

"You get a good feeling from it."

A shy winner

Crist saidhe doesn't want any attention. He found out in May that he had won the lottery butkept it a secret from even friends and family.

The former CEO ofEECOL Electric, an electrical wholesale company with its head office in Calgary, retired in September.

On Monday, Crist said he had been hoping he could just quietly transfer the funds to a family trust account that would be used for charity. But, as a condition of a big win, the Western Canada Lottery Corporation requires that an announcement be made.

Despite his best efforts,Crist was photographed while wearing a ball cap and sunglasses.

On Tuesday, his son Dallas Cristsaid his dad was a humble man.

"Hell go out of his way to do anything for his friends, family, all his co-workers at EECOL would say the same things," he said.

"Hes our role model. Its cheesy and clich, but its true."

Largest Calgary prize

The $40-million prize is the largest ever for a Calgary winner.

Lottery corporation spokesperson Andrea Marantz saidit's common forlottery winners to donate a portion of their prize, but donating the whole amount is rare.

"I think it's extraordinary. The idea of donating that large a sum of money is certainly beyond most people'sability to comprehend."