LEVITTOWN, Pa., March 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sixteen current and former employees of the Kmart distribution center in Fairless Hills, Bucks County, won $250,000 from the Mega Millions drawing on Jan. 28.
Lottery Deputy Executive Director Tom Blaskiewicz today presented a ceremonial check to the group at Beer-A-Rama in Levittown, Bucks County, where the ticket was purchased. The store receives a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Sharing equally in the prize are the following winners:
-- Joyce Adamo, of Levittown, Bucks County;
-- Francine Carney, of Langhorne, Bucks County;
-- Alfred Costantini, of Fairless Hills, Bucks County;
-- Francis Dean, of Levittown, Bucks County;
-- Elmer Erhard, of Levittown, Bucks County;
-- Thomas Erhard, of Levittown, Bucks County;
-- Frank Manero, of Croydon, Bucks County;
-- Jeffrey Moore, of Levittown, Bucks County;
-- Brian Nau, of Fairless Hills, Bucks County ;
-- Susan Palesky, of Fairless Hills, Bucks County;
-- Andrew Puskar, of Fairless Hills, Bucks County;
-- Paul Siegel, of Yardley, Bucks County;
-- David Vizsolyi, of Holland, Bucks County;
-- Raymond Wiseley, of Collingdale, Delaware County;
-- Donald Wolf, of Levittown, Bucks County; and
-- Richard Wollover, of Levittown, Bucks County.
The group's quick-pick ticket from the Jan. 28 drawing correctly matched all five white balls, 14-33-48-49-50, but not the yellow Mega Ball 18, for a prize of $250,000, less 25-percent federal withholding. Each group member will receive $11,718.75 after taxes.
Puskar started a Powerball pool with his co-workers at the Kmart distribution center, but left for a new job in 2010. Nau continued the pool and added Mega Millions to the group's purchases when the game debuted in Pennsylvania last year.
"When Brian called me, he asked, 'Are you sitting down?'" said Puskar. "I thought it was bad news, and he assured me it was good news. I replied, 'What did we do, hit the Lottery?'"
Nau is a family friend of Frank LaRosa, who owns Beer-A-Rama, and he buys the Kmart group's tickets there every Friday, choosing Powerball or Mega Millions based on which game has the higher jackpot.
The group missed out on the Jan. 28 advertised jackpot of $77 million by just one number, the Mega Ball number of 18 - which coincidentally is also Nau's softball jersey number.
How to Play Mega Millions: Mega Millions tickets cost $1 per play. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 56 and one number from 1 to 46 (The Mega Ball). Players can pick their own numbers or have numbers randomly selected by computer. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Megaplier. Prior to the Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier number - ranging from two to four - is randomly selected. The Megaplier multiplies all prizes other than jackpot and second-tier prizes by the drawing's Megaplier number.
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 43 participating jurisdictions. Drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays.
About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception 38 years ago, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed nearly $20.6 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state. The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds its players to play responsibly. Players must be 18 or older.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Lottery, visit www.palottery.com.
Media contact:Kirstin Alvanitakis, 717-702-8008 or 717-756-6251 (cell)
Editor's Note: In fiscal year 2009-10, Pennsylvania Lottery players in Bucks County won more than $73.4 million in prizes, and retailers in Bucks County earned about $6.5 million in commissions and bonuses. Last year, the Pennsylvania Lottery contributed more than $34.9 million to programs that benefited seniors in Bucks County.
Pennsylvania Lottery
Web site: http://www.palottery.com/
