Butler, PA – A Butler County truck driver, Jake Parkinson, 26, has been identified as the winner of a $1 million prize from the Pennsylvania Lottery’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. The celebratory event took place at the Sheetz store located at 356 New Castle Road in Butler, the same location where the winning ticket was purchased. For its role in selling the lucky ticket, Sheetz received a $5,000 bonus.
Parkinson expressed his initial disbelief upon realizing he had won, recounting his experience of checking his ticket through the Lottery’s Official App and later confirming his win online. His plans for the winnings include paying off his house and investing. Sharing the news with his family, he found that they were skeptical at first but he sees this win as truly life-changing.
The Pennsylvania Lottery, alongside Sheetz representatives, extended their congratulations to Parkinson. Drew Svitko, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery, highlighted the importance of participants and retailer partners in the success of lottery games, which support senior programs across the state. Nick Ruffner, Sheetz Public Relations Manager, celebrated the win as part of a larger trend of success for Sheetz customers, who have won over $4 million in cash prizes this year. The New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, held on January 6, awarded a total of more than $5 million in 6,000 cash prizes.