Pennsylvania Pair Claim Historic Cash4Life Jackpot
Friday January 24th 2025A husband and wife from Pennsylvania have vowed to put their newfound wealth to good use after becoming the state’s first Cash4Life jackpot winners.
Cash4Life tickets have been on sale in the Keystone State since April 2015, but for almost a decade there were no winners from Pennsylvania in the top tier. That all changed in the drawing on January 3rd, when a ticket purchased at the GIANT Food Store on Male Road in the Northampton County borough of Wind Gap matched all the numbers.
The winners have now come forward to claim the money, opting for the cash sum of $7 million rather than the annuity prize of $1,000 a day for life. They have been named as Shana and Stephen Juhasz.
Recounting their success story, Stephen told the Pennsylvania Lottery: “She normally buys a Powerball and Mega Millions ticket, and sometimes she'll buy a random ticket. This time, she randomly bought Cash4Life. She chose the numbers using Quick Pick.”
When Shana found out the next morning that the ticket was a winner, Stephen was already at work so she gave him a call. Stephen recalled: “As she's reading the results to me, I said, 'Can you read them to me again?' As she's reading, I screamed and ran out of work. I called my boss and told him I had to leave."
Stephen has no plans to retire from his job as a General Manager at McDonald’s, but the couple are determined to make the most of the cash. They are excited about what the future holds for them and their three children.
Stephen said: “My wife is going to school to become a nurse practitioner, so this will help pay off her loan. I'll pay off my student loan, we'll save some money and invest, and we'll take the kids to Disney! I work at McDonald's, and I'm going to go back to school and learn something about finance. As soon as this is over, I've got to go back to work.”
The couple’s happiness was echoed by Pennsylvania Lottery officials. Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, who presented them with their check, said: “We are thrilled that this historic win in Pennsylvania is delivering a life-changing prize to Stephen, Shana, and their family. We also want to recognize our retailer partner, GIANT Food Stores, for selling this ticket. Thanks to our dedicated players and retailers, the Pennsylvania Lottery continues to generate funds for critical programs and services that benefit older Pennsylvanians all across the Commonwealth.”
About Cash4Life
Cash4Life began in New York and New Jersey in 2014, before expanding into other locations. It is now played in 10 states and has draws every day.
To play, you must select five numbers from 1 to 60 and a Cash Ball from a separate set between 1 and 4. You need to match all the numbers to get the jackpot, but there are also eight other ways to win.
You can use the Cash4Life Checker after every draw to find out how many numbers you matched and whether you won a payout.
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