Pittsburgh-Area Great-Grandmother Hits $1.5M PA Lottery Jackpot

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP, PA — It was just another trip to the supermarket for Rita Franczyk - until that visit changed her life.

Franczyk, 86, of Westmoreland County, won $1.5 million after purchasing and scratching a Pennsylvania Lottery $1,500,000 Super Star ticket.

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Franczyk bought the winning ticket at Giant Eagle on Towne Center Drive in Allegheny Township. The retailer will receive $100,000 for selling the big winner.

A grandmother of three and great-grandmother of seven children, Franczyk said she frequently shops at this Giant Eagle location and buys an occasional $5 Lottery ticket "just for fun."

But Franczyk went upscale when a clerk encouraged Franczyk to try one of the store's new $30 tickets.

"I said, 'Whoa!' but I bought it," Franczyk recalled. "I won $50 on the first ticket I got. I told the clerk, 'Thank you, you're a great friend!'"

Days later, Franczyk said she tried the same $30 ticket again — this time drawn by its "pretty blue color."

"That second ticket turned out to be the big winner," Franczyk said. "I called my daughter right way and said, 'According to the store, I'm a millionaire!' My daughter said, 'Yeah right, mom.' I said, 'I'm not kidding!'"

After filing her claim at Giant Eagle, the winner reflected on how timely the prize was. A recent rent increase and a burst pipe in her apartment building forced her to temporarily move in with her daughter.

Now, she plans to purchase a small home of her own.

Franczyk said that those Giant Eagle employees who have known her for years shared that the win "couldn't have happened to a nicer person."

"At Giant Eagle, we are thrilled to congratulate loyal guest and new Pennsylvania Lottery winner, Rita," said Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Drexler.

"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."

Said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne: "Rita's remarkable win is a wonderful reminder that the Pennsylvania Lottery awards life‑changing prizes every day to players across the Commonwealth.

"Each ticket purchased not only offers a chance to win, but also directly supports essential programs for older Pennsylvanians."