BETHLEHEM TWP. − Bad things kept happening to Chandra Potschner.
The Stark County native battled breast cancer, undergoing more than 30 radiation treatments before the disease went into remission. Her 27-year-old daughter, Maegan Motter, was murdered in 2018 in the Middletown area. And she lost her job of 14 years due to outsourcing.
Then, something good finally happened last year. Potschner won $500,000 in an Ohio Lottery scratch-off game.
"I was in disbelief," she said.
Winning lottery cash led to even more excitement when Potschner and her husband, William, were selected to be on the popular HGTV television show, " My Lottery Dream Home ." Host David Bromstad takes recent lottery winners such as the Potschners on house hunts to find their dream homes, chronicling the search on the show.
"I've watched the show in the past, and I just thought, 'Wow, people really win the lottery and stuff,'" Potschner said. "I thought it was neat."
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Finding a dream home in the wilderness of Bethlehem Township
In recent months, Bromstad and a film crew visited Stark County to join the Potschners on a search for a new home. The couple had a windfall of money won in the Billion scratch-off game, which paid a $1 million annuity prize − $50,000 a year for 20 years before taxes.
Potschner chose the $500,000 cash option instead and will receive about $360,000 after federal and state tax withholdings.
Bromstad and HGTV returned to the Canton area earlier this month to wrap up filming for the future episode of "My Lottery Dream Home." Potschner said she expects it to be broadcast in the spring or fall.
Moving from a home the couple rented in Wilmot, the Potschners found their dream home in Bethlehem Township in the Bolivar area.
Chandra Potschner, 51, is enthusiastic about her new digs.
"It's beautiful out here," she said of the secluded area, which includes a pond and wilderness. "You see deer and turkey in the yard."
Potschner was already familiar with the home. She had grown up fishing in the area.
"We've driven by the house probably a thousand times since we were kids," said Potschner, who has two adult sons who live in area.
"It's our dream home," she said. "We lucked out; it's everything we wanted and more. David did a fantastic job."
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The house wasn't move-in ready, however. Some cleanup was required after it was purchased at an auction, Potschner said.
"We worked our butts off to get it done," said Potschner, who retired after most recently working at Hendrickson, a local manufacturer of suspensions for heavy trucks. "My husband worked from 7 a.m. to late at night to get it done (before the final filming)."
'My Lottery Dream Home' has filmed in the Akron-Canton area before
This isn't the first time "My Lottery Dream Home" has visited the Canton area. In 2021, Bromstad filmed an episode locally after a Minerva couple won $1 million with a lottery scratch-off ticket. Scenes included Bromstad meeting with the couple at Gervasi Vineyards in Canton.
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In 2022, an Akron couple won $150,000 and was featured on the show.
A representative of HGTV confirmed this week that a future episode was being filmed in the Canton area, but declined to reveal more details.
Searching for homes with Bromstad was a blast
Potschner sounded just as excited to meet Bromstad as she was about her new home.
Known for his high-energy vibe and outgoing personality, the celebrity didn't disappoint, she assured.
When the final round of filming occurred recently, Bromstad surprised Potschner and her husband with a rhubarb pie from the Amish Door Restaurant in Wilmot; it was dessert when they ate and filmed at Table Six Kitchen + Bar in Jackson Township.
"He was such a blast," she said of Bromstad, noting that he worked with Realtors. "We were with him for (multiple) days, and we filmed in Minerva and we filmed in Beach City (searching for homes).
"He cracks jokes, he's real down to earth and he's just blunt, he's straightforward," she added. "And he cares about your story and all that because we had some pretty bad things happen."
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com .
On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark couple hits big lottery win. Now will appear on HGTV's 'My Lottery Dream Home'
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