Christmas shopping trip leads to $1 million PA lottery win

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Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Lottery

Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Lottery

A Pennsylvania woman who bought a lottery ticket just before Christmas saw her impulse pay off – in a big way.

April Williams has won a $1 million Match 6 jackpot, according to a Jan. 12 press release from the Pennsylvania Lottery. The Sheetz store where she purchased the winning ticket received $5,000.

Williams said she was doing her last Christmas shopping when she stopped by Sheetz. She spotted the lottery machine next to the ATM and decided to grab a ticket, according to the statement.

It took Williams a while to check the numbers — as a single mother of three, she’s often busy and had other errands to finish, the statement said.

She checked the ticket when she was at another convenience store later, looking to buy a Powerball ticket, according to the statement. She had been playing the lottery since she was 18, but said she had never won more than $20, WBRE reported.

“That’s when I checked my Match 6 ticket, thinking I would just use all the winnings from that towards buying my Powerball ticket,” she said.

When she did, she couldn’t believe her eyes – she was a million dollar winner.

“I said, ‘That can’t be true! ‘” Williams said, according to the statement. “I asked the clerk to check the ticket and his eyes got as big as saucers.”

Williams, who works at a paper mill, said she plans to use the money to take her children on a nice vacation, according to the statement. She also wants to invest in a house she bought three years ago, The Record Online reported.

She plans to continue living in Lock Haven with two of her children, ages 14 and 16, who still live at home. His youngest son requested an Xbox, according to The Record Online.

Lock Haven is about 200 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

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Vandana Ravikumar is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She grew up in northern Nevada and studied journalism and political science at Arizona State University. Previously, she reported for USA Today, The Dallas Morning News and Arizona PBS.

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