15 UPMC medical workers win $1 million from Mega Millions
SMETHPORT, Pa. (KDKA) -- More than a dozen UPMC workers are calling themselves the "million dollar medicals" after they won $1 million from the lottery.
Jackie Burdick of McKean County, who the Pennsylvania Lottery calls the group's spokesperson, said five of them started playing together 20 years ago and it grew from there. The group of 15 medical workers won during the record-breaking $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot run that ended on Aug. 8.
They won $1 million in the July 28 drawing, and they've already each gotten a check for about $48,600 after taxes.
Burdick said the last-minute decision to play led them to their win. She said she saw someone in Smethport won, and when she scanned her ticket with the app, it told her to check a retailer.
"When I scanned it at a retailer it showed, 'Congratulations you won $1 million!' I thought, 'Oh my gosh this can't be real. I have to call these girls!'" she said in a news release from the Pennsylvania Lottery.
As for Burdick, she said she's spending her money on her kids, grandkids and a nice vacation.
The group was presented a commemorative $1 million check on Wednesday. Nittany MiniMart on Route 6 will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The jackpot in that run was won by a player in Florida. Before taxes, the winner had the chance to take home the full amount in annual payments over 29 years or take a one-time payment of about $783 million.