Pennsylvania woman's life takes a dramatic turn with a $3 million scratch off surprise
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CHICORA, BUTLER COUNTY – Monday started as an ordinary day for Penny Reep, but by the end of it, she was $3 million richer.
This life-changing moment happened at Rummy Mart on 131 South Main St., Chicora, where officials from the Pennsylvania Lottery and the store's team came together to hand over a gigantic $3 million check.
Rummy Mart didn't just get the spotlight for being the place of purchase. They also pocketed a neat $10,000 bonus for selling that winning ticket.
Talking about when she first realized she was a winner, Penny said, “I had a dentist appointment in Butler that Monday and stopped at Rummy Mart to exchange some winning tickets.”
“I bought one of the $10 tickets and the $30 ticket. I scratched the $30 ticket and thought, ‘I’m not seeing this right.’
When I scanned it, it said, ‘Congratulations, you won $3 million.’”
“I grabbed the counter and started crying. I had chest pain and it felt like my feet were coming out from underneath of me.”
She bought the ticket on October 16th and, still in shock, claimed it just three days later on October 19th. “I’m in disbelief,” she admitted, “It still doesn’t seem real.”
The timing of the win was, in Penny's words, perfect. She shared some heart-wrenching details,
“My husband has a very rare form of cancer and it’s not curable. We don’t know how long we have with him. He’s no longer able to work and I’ve been trying to take care of him, but I’m also having health problems.”
Ray of Hope
But this money brought a ray of hope into their lives, giving her and husband Patrick the chance to fulfill a cherished dream.
“It was always a pipe dream,” said Reep, thinking about her husband’s wish to visit Alaska. “Now, I’m going to be able to give him everything he’s always wanted.”
Penny assures everyone that this win won't change who they are at the core.
“We are going to stay the same people. We will continue living in our house and invest the money, but now we will have memories for a lifetime.”
Older Players Win
Adding to the joy of the day, Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko congratulated Penny, saying:
“Congratulations to our newest millionaire, Penny, on her life-changing prize. We would also like to congratulate our retailer, Rummy Mart, for selling the big winning ticket.“
“Thanks to our players and retailers, the PA Lottery is continuing to fulfill its mission of responsibly generating funds for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”
For others feeling lucky, the PA Lottery's Scratch-Off $3 Million Diamonds and Gold, which was launched in July 2022, is still up for grabs.
At $30 a ticket, top prizes of $3 million are still waiting for their next winner!
Scratch Off Games
The distribution of lottery scratch-off tickets is random, meaning that neither the Pennsylvania Lottery nor its vendors have prior knowledge of the locations where winning tickets will be placed.
Top rewards for the game start at $500 and go up to a maximum of $3 million. The Pennsylvania Lottery's data shows there are still over 2,500 prizes of $500 and in excess of 3,000 prizes of $1,000 available. In addition, 23 prizes of $5,000, eight of $30,000, and three of $300,000 remain unclaimed.
The deadline to claim scratch-off rewards is one year from the end of the game's sales, and this date can be found on palottery.com. To safeguard their winnings, individuals should sign the back of their tickets and contact the lottery by dialing 800-692-7481.
Any lottery winnings exceeding $5,000 are subject to the relevant tax deductions.
