Edmonton man wins $1 million in Servus Big Share contest
Ibukun Sobukunola of Edmonton won $1 million in the Servus Big Share contest and will work with advisers while planning a family trip to Japan this month.
Ibukun Sobukunola, a project manager in the oil and gas sector, was presented with a $1 million cheque by Servus Credit Union after entering the Servus Big Share contest earlier this year.
Sobukunola, who moved to Canada from Nigeria in 2016, said the win followed a decision to move savings into a Servus account that qualified him for contest entries.
Winner identified as Ibukun Sobukunola
Sobukunola has been banking with Servus since his arrival in Canada and said personalized service kept him with the credit union.
He told reporters he and his wife have already discussed immediate plans, including taking their young family to Japan, and that they will meet with a financial adviser to map longer-term uses of the prize.
How the Servus Big Share contest awarded entries
The Servus Big Share contest ran from January 1 to April 30 this year, with members receiving one entry for every $500 deposited into savings.
Servus staged the promotion to encourage saving behaviour among its members and to reward those who moved deposits into qualifying accounts.
Winner’s reaction and next steps
Sobukunola described the win as life-changing and said he intends to consult professionals before making major decisions.
He emphasized that he is not a financial expert and will lean on the credit union’s advice and his own planner to prioritize goals for his young family.
Servus frames contest as a financial fitness initiative
Ian Burns, president and CEO of Servus Credit Union, said the contest is designed to help members advance their financial goals.
Burns described the event as a way to raise awareness about saving and to offer a tangible incentive that complements the credit union’s broader financial fitness programming.
Community impact and cooperative structure
Servus, Alberta’s largest credit union with branches across more than 80 communities, funded the $1 million prize as part of its cooperative mandate.
The credit union said its structure allows it to reinvest locally rather than prioritizing shareholder returns, which it argued makes contests like the Big Share possible.
Contest history and member engagement
Now in its eighth year, the Big Share contest has become an annual feature for many Servus members who see it as an opportunity to build savings.
Organizers said the promotion typically draws heightened engagement at branch and online levels, and that entrants use the contest as a catalyst to start or accelerate saving plans.
Sobukunola’s win and the public presentation of the cheque in Edmonton highlight both the personal impact of prize promotions and the role financial institutions play in encouraging saving.
As he plans travel and works with advisers, Sobukunola said the prize provides options for his family’s future and relief to pursue longer-term goals.
