Pennsylvania Governor Presents Lottery Prize

8 February 2005

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today presented a ceremonial check for $14,734,333.80, less 25 percent federal withholding, to Kathleen Fitzgerald, Karen Rodgers, and Janet Bigler, holders of the single winning ticket for the Jan. 22 Powerball(R) drawing. The jackpot had an annuity value of $26.4 million.

"In this case, not only did the Lottery proceeds from this Powerball(R) jackpot benefit older Pennsylvanians, but so did the prize," Governor Rendell said. "By playing the Lottery, these very lucky ladies contributed to the many programs that help our older citizens with prescription drugs, property tax and rent rebates as well as free or reduced fare transit."

The friends' sole jackpot-winning ticket matched all five white balls, 11-23-32-33-34, and the red Powerball(R), 38, in the Jan. 22, 2005 drawing. The jackpot-winning Powerball(R) ticket was the third winning Powerball(R) jackpot ticket sold in Pennsylvania in six weeks and the eighth winning Powerball(R) jackpot ticket sold in Pennsylvania since the Lottery joined the multi-jurisdictional game in June 2002. Winning tickets also were sold in Pennsylvania for the Dec. 8 and 22, 2004, drawings.

The friends presented the winning ticket at Lottery Headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County earlier today, after consulting with legal and financial counsel. After examining the ticket and executing other proprietary security measures, Lottery officials confirmed that it was the winning ticket.

Joining Governor Rendell and the winners at the presentation were Secretary of Aging Dowd Eisenhower, Secretary of Revenue Gregory C. Fajt and Edward Mahlman, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery.

"The sales leading up to the Jan. 22 drawing generated about $2.2 million for programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians, including the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET, property tax and rent rebates, free and reduced-fare transit rides, hot meals and services at senior centers across the state," said Mahlman.

More than $6.6 million worth of Powerball(R) and PowerPlay(R) tickets were sold in Pennsylvania for the four-draw run leading up to the Jan. 22 jackpot. Two match-five Powerball tickets were also sold in Pennsylvania for the Jan. 22 drawing worth $400,000 each; the respective ticket-holders purchased the PowerPlay option.

The winning quick-pick ticket was purchased at Nielsen's, a newsstand and convenience store located at 2 PNC Plaza, 620 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. Nielsen's, owned by Howard Rosenberg and Jack Trombley, and managed by Robert Fulton, will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling Saturday's winning jackpot ticket. There are three Nielsen's stores in Pennsylvania and 17 locations in Ohio.

How to play Powerball(R): To play Powerball(R), players pay $1 and select five white balls from the first set of 53 numbers plus a single red ball, the Powerball, from a second set of 42 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Powerball(R) play slip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn plus the Powerball(R) number to win the jackpot. There also are eight additional ways for players to win a cash prize.

Powerball(R) features an option called PowerPlay(R). For an extra $1 per Powerball(R) play (game), players can multiply their Powerball(R) prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times the original prize amount for all prizes EXCEPT the jackpot. Prizes can multiply up to $500,000.