ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Lottery says an 86-year-old woman was the winner of a scratch-off lottery ticket worth $1.5 million sold at a local Giant Eagle.
Information shared by a Pennsylvania Lottery spokesperson on Thursday said the winner was Rita Franczyk. She bought the ticket at the Giant Eagle on Towne Center Drive in Allegheny Township.
Officials said Franczyk was on a routine grocery stop, where she was picking up her prescriptions, coffee and milk. The only part of the trip that was not routine was when she chose to buy the store’s new $30 tickets instead of the usual $5 tickets that she sometimes buys “just for fun.”
“I said, ‘Whoa!’ but I bought it,” Franczyk said. “I won $50 on the first ticket I got. I told the clerk, ‘Thank you, you’re a great friend!’”
When she tried her second $30 ticket, she hit it big.
“I called my daughter right away and said, ‘According to the store, I’m a millionaire!’ My daughter said, ‘Yeah right, mom.’ I said, ‘I’m not kidding!’” Franczyk said.
The life-changing win comes at an ideal time for Franczyk, who said she had to move after a pipe burst in her apartment and rent increased. Lottery officials said she plans to buy a small house for herself.
“At Giant Eagle, we are thrilled to congratulate loyal guest and new Pennsylvania Lottery winner, Rita,” Jannah Drexler, Giant Eagle spokesperson, said. “Throughout our 95-year history, we have been fortunate to have sold dozens of high-value winning tickets across our stores, and we look forward to our continued partnership with Pennsylvania Lottery.”
The grandmother of three is recognized as a creative spirit who enjoys volunteering in her community.
“My most famous thing is painting children’s faces,” Franczyk said. “I do what’s good for people. I consider it a blessing to help somebody.”
She has worked as an interior designer, a model for a bridal shop and a math tutor.
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