Berks County Man Wins $225,000 From PA Lottery's Cash 5

WEST LAWN, Pa., May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lee Michalowski, of Sinking Spring, Berks County, won $225,000 from the Pennsylvania Lottery's Cash 5 drawing on April 16.

Lottery Area Manager Craig Rogan today presented a ceremonial check to Michalowski and his wife, Cindy, at Ronco's Pharmacy, where the ticket was purchased. The store will receive a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

"We checked the numbers that night before we went to bed," said Cindy. "I heard Lee in the living room, 'We've got three numbers! We've got four numbers! We've got five numbers!'

"Then we danced around a little bit and checked the website to see if anyone else hit the jackpot. When we saw there was only one winning ticket, we danced around a little bit more. I still can't believe it -- our luck normally isn't like this."

Michalowski's ticket matched all five numbers drawn, 05-20-22-37-42, to win the April 16 Cash 5 jackpot worth $225,000, less 25 percent federal withholding.

Lee Michalowski works for the U.S. Postal Service, and Cindy drives a school bus. They plan to use their winnings to pay off their bills, help family members, make home improvements and purchase a new vehicle.

How to play Cash 5: To play Cash 5, players pay $1 and select five of 43 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Cash 5 play slip, or they may opt for a computer-selected quick pick. Players must match all five numbers drawn to win the jackpot. The starting jackpot is $125,000 and grows until it is won. The odds of winning a Cash 5 jackpot are 1-in-962,598; overall odds of winning a Cash 5 prize are 1-in-10.51. Cash 5 is the longest-running jackpot game in Pennsylvania Lottery history. Cash 5 tickets first went on sale April 23, 1992. 

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 more than $19.2 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free and reduced-fare transit; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including more than 600 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

Editor's Note: In fiscal year 2008-09, Pennsylvania Lottery players in Berks County won more than $45.3 million in prizes. The Lottery contributed nearly $31.8 million to programs that benefited seniors in the county, and Lottery retailers in Berks County earned more than $4.4 million in commissions and bonuses.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery