New York woman gets scratch-off worth $5,000 a week for life.
It was the best wedding gift Ginnie Bogaczyk could have asked for.
The Elmira woman, who is engaged to be married Sept. 2, now has more than enough money to pay for the wedding, the honeymoon, a new home — just about anything else she can think of.
Bogaczyk is the latest winner in the New York Lottery Set For Life scratch-off game. She hit the big time — the $5,000 a week top prize — when she bought a $10 ticket recently at the Wilson Farms store at 865 Davis St. in Elmira.
Bogaczyk and family members gathered at Wilson Farms on Thursday morning to accept a ceremonial $5 million check from New York Lottery Executive Deputy Director Susan E. Miller.
Bogaczyk, who said she's been playing the scratch-off games for about five years, said when she first saw the winning numbers, she thought there was some mistake.
"Actually, I looked at it. I turned on the dome light (in her car.) I figured I had read the numbers wrong," said Bogaczyk, who works as a certified nurse's aide at Bethany Village. "It took me about half an hour to figure it out."
After she got home and reality set in, Bogaczyk said she started screaming and crying, and then started calling family members. She also called fiance Archie Haner, who was also incredulous at first.
" 'Holy crap.' That was the first thing that came out of my mouth," Haner said.
Bogaczyk is the first lottery millionaire in Chemung County in 2006, Miller said. The Set For Life scratch-off games are the most popular games offered by the state lottery, she said.
Bogaczyk will receive her prize in quarterly payments of $65,000, minus taxes, for the rest of her life. She or her estate are guaranteed at least $5 million.
The couple doesn't have many definite plans for the money yet, beyond paying off wedding and honeymoon expenses. Bogaczyk, who worked fulltime at Bethany, plans to stay on a part-time basis. Haner said he has no plans to quit his job at Kennedy Valve.
"I'll work occasionally," Bogaczyk said. "At this point, I just want to be comfortable and live life, and spend a little time with my family."
Man I would like to have a prize like that. I could use $250,000+ every year for at least 20 years. Congrats to her and her family!-weshar75
Unfortunately winning this amount of money before the wedding may require her to see a lawyer about a prenuptial agreement which I'm sure wasn't in the original wedding plans.
Congrats to her! I also wouldn't mind winning $5,000 a week for like.
I think the quarterly payments are just fine-- not too much, not too little . I would be very pleased with a win like that.
Ms. GINNIE BOGAZYK , CONGRATULATION! THIS VICTORY OF LOTTERY IS SIGNAL OF HAPPY MARRIED LIFE! WISH YOU VERY VERY HAPPY MARRIED LIFE!!!... Adisubramanian achatha1@yahoo.co.in
Congrats, Ginnie B! Best wishes to you also in your marriage!
* Posting your e-mail address on a public forum could get you a lot of unwanted requests.
RJOh, interesting comment about the prenuptial agreement. It's something most people don't think about, but I might feel very offended if my fiance won money just before our wedding and asked me to sign an agreement like that. However, I think I'd understand the reason behind it. It's a very sensitive matter, since you are supposed to be taking vows that say "'until death..." and a prenup indicates that the couple will probably end up fighting over money one day. As true as it is, since statistically about 43% of all marriages break up, a bride still likes to believe she's found her true soulmate.
Its an uplifting post :) One to believe in marriage and secondly to beleive that the average jane can win!So on average, I wish her much wisdom in investing wisely. May her vows keep her from poorer :)
When a couple with young children get married there's a chance they have already met their soul mate and it didn't work out. If control of her winnings is going to be a problem, it's better she knows before the wedding.
The story did not say the children in the photo were hers (or his). I agree she should get a prenuptial agreement though.
Congrats to her & her family.
Ahh, but the story on NY website does say she has two children.
I see said the blind man.