The 22 postal workers had been playing the lottery together for years, sharing the disappointment of regular failures with the grim resolve of the always hopeful.
But now, the 22, who work at the Philadelphia Bulk Mail Center, on Byberry Road near Woodhaven, are sharing the joy of winning the $10.2 million Powerball lottery jackpot on Saturday.
The Powerball winners did not want to go on camera and talk about their good fortunes just yet but they call themselves the "Lucky 22".
Joseph Marquis of the United States Postal Service said the group includes mail handlers, clerks and one supervisor. They all work in the same area and pooled their lottery money for years until they hit the big one this past weekend.
The Lucky 22 matched all five white balls, 01-04-26-32-39, and the red Powerball, 18, to win the jackpot.
Instead of taking the $20 million annuity jackpot, the postal workers decided to take a cash payout of $10.2 million, less 25 percent federal withholding.
Marquis says the group left at lunchtime amid "a lot of congratulations, hugs and kisses." He said everybody was waving them off and wishing them luck.
The Pennsylvania Lottery identified the winners as Larry Hibbett, Keith Williams, Maurice Long, Timothy Herbert, John Meehan, Raymond Jones, Michael Piekielski, Karen Henderson, Eddie Pacheco Jr., Beverly Smith, Winston Davis, Deneatra Jenkins, all of Philadelphia. Also, Barry Bellinger, Darby; Donald Akins, Upper Darby; Gerald Boglia, Levittown; Joseph McGugan, Bensalem; Daniel McKay, Secane; Gregory Haynes, Elkins Park; Garman Gwynn and Ethel Gwynn, both of Willingboro, N.J.; Robert Singleton, Erial, N.J., and Karen Greenfield, Ewing, N.J.
The Powerball ticket was a quick-pick purchased at the Lansdowne Diner in Lansdowne, Delaware County.
The restaurant will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The Lucky 22 presented the winning ticket for validation yesterday at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County. Officials confirmed it was the winner.
The 22 winners collectively are the 11th Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball jackpot winners since the state joined the multi-state game in June 2002.
I'd like to congratulate the 22 co-workers and their recent win. I have a co-worker that ask me every week to start a MegaMillion pool. I enjoy sharing these kind of stories with her. She gets so excited and then starts to share with us how she will quit work and what she will do next with the money.
I think you should start one. I have started one at my job. I actually have a pool for both. We play PB when it gets over 50mill and i drive up to Illinois and get tickets for MM when its over 100mill.
Of course the PB play is $1 per person and the MM is $5 per person and I get the tkt for the next 5 draws
Congrats to the lucky winners!
I've been in several pools, ran a few, participated in some. I participated in one when the person who held the money, which including the small winnings that we had each week, spent the money before we were to divide it. We were all sitting together, planning how and when we were going to meet to spit the money. We planned to make it a small party. A few days before we were to meet, she told her closest friend that she had spent the money and hadn't been able to raise the money to replace what she had spent.
It can be a real pain..., that is, unless it pays off.
I don't remember how much we were going to split. But it was enough to have a small party over.
priceless>>>2 hard walker'$$$$$$$$$$$$
my defeet acheache'$$$$$$$$$$for4 these WONDERFUL PEOPLE$$$$$$
THEY work HARD & show-UP>>>>>>>EVERYDAY & DON't make mistake's!
LOL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TOO the POSTAL>>>>>>UNION!!!!
psykomo (MAY A BIG>>>>>>>>>>>JACKPOT$$$$$$$>>>>>>future!!!!)
KISS UR>>>>>>POST person$$$
lol
PSYKOMO
But...10.2 mil is too small a pie for 22 people to share. :(
Appoximately $463,640.00 is pretty nice pocket change. I wouldn't mind it.
Enough to put the kids/grandkids through college, have a few nice vacations, and put the rest away for retirement.
butt<<<I summilogged my little dog "KING" off a banna boat from>>>>>>
jacksonville, fla>>>>>>BECAUSE we could not AFFORD>>>>>>>>>"PIE"!
BUY 2010 one yer 2 date of this POST U will B out on the street>>>>>>>>
UR>>>>>NEW capital will be CUBA & if U Knn spek SPANISH>>>>>>>>>>
g@@D>>LUCK>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
TAKE UR RICH asset's 2 another COUNTRY if UR$$$
RICH$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
IF<<<<<<<<NOT>>>>>>O'BAMA & CASTRO>>
HAS a PLAN 4-UUUUUUUUUUUUUU>!
psykomo
I agree. That would be a good amount of money to some people. I wouldn't turn it down.
That 10.2 million is before any taxes were taken out. So lop off the immediate 25% (PA doesn't tax winnings, lucky them) and they're left with 7.65M to divide up among 22 people which makes it about $347,727 per person, by tax time they might have to pay another 10% unless they have some really good deductions. Still, not a bad chunk of change, certainly could get a few kids through college or be a nice nest egg enhancement for retirement.
Now if only they could have come up with something more original as a name.. How many "Lucky *Insert the number of members of the pool here*" have there been? Not like it matters I guess.
Not enough to retire on but a nice little nest egg to fall back on. A nice vacation and a few new toys.
Most folks who do retire have a much smaller nest egg to fall back on if they don't include the value of their homes.
I wouldn't say no to some of that pie!