Wabtec employees join forces for a slice of $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot

David Bruce, Erie Times-News
·3 min read
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Wabtec Corp. might need to replace almost an entire department if the Mega Millions numbers pop up a certain way Friday night.

Eleven workers in one of the departments in the Lawrence Park Township, Erie County plant have combined their funds to purchase 77 tickets for the multi-state lottery drawing to be held Friday. The estimated jackpot is a cool $1.28 billion.

Yes, billion.

"If we win, we all said we would be out of there," said Mark Rathmann, 55, who purchased the group's tickets. "I don't even think we would come back to say goodbye."

Rathmann was one in a steady stream of lottery customers Thursday morning at Kelly's Korner Market and Kreamery, a Harborcreek Township convenience store. Most of them were there to buy a chance or several, at what is expected to be the third-highest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

More: When is the next Mega Millions drawing? Day, time and jackpot amount explained

Here's a look at the five largest lottery jackpots that have been won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:

  • $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, and Tennessee)

  • $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)

  • $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket, from Michigan)

  • $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, from Wisconsin)

  • $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)

Kelly's Korner focuses on lottery sales. Old winning scratch-off tickets are taped around the cashier's counter and the store features both lottery vending and clerk-assisted machines.

When co-owner Bill Rose opens each morning at 8, there are usually several lottery players waiting for him.

"Most days, 90% of our lottery customers are regulars," Rose said. "Right now, we're seeing a lot of new people. I'd say it's down to 50% regulars."

One of those new faces Thursday was Judy Dietz, a 55-year-old Harborcreek resident. Dietz showed up with three $20 bills and left with an assortment of Mega Millions, Powerball, Daily Number and scratch-off tickets.

Like most customers, Dietz let the machine pick the number for six of her Mega Millions tickets but insisted on using family birthdays for the seventh number.

"I don't usually play but I heard it on the radio," Dietz said. "Then my daughter texted me and told me to play, and if I win she gets a million dollars."

Matty Ryan, 62, is a regular lottery customer at Kelly's Korner but said he increases his betting when the jackpot skyrockets. "I buy three tickets when it's lower but I bought seven today," Ryan said. "Winning would be exciting, overwhelming, life-changing."

More: If you win the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot, here's what you need to know

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

The $1.28 billion drawing will be held Friday at 11 p.m. Check megamillions.com to see if you were the big winner.

The lottery line at Kelly's Korner ran three or four people deep at times late Thursday morning. Business was brisk but not as intense as it was 20 years ago just after the multi-state lottery game Powerball arrived in Pennsylvania.

The line sometimes stretched completely out of the store back then, Rose recalled. That doesn't happen anymore.

"Now there are more than 9,000 lottery retailers in the state compared to 7,000 years ago," Rose said. "There are so many places to play and you have online sales, too."

After buying his group's lottery tickets, Rathmann said he was going to make copies of them and send the copies to his coworkers.

If they win, the Wabtec department in which they work — Rathmann wouldn't identify it — won't be completely empty.

"One guy just wouldn't play," Rathmann said.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Billion dollar lottery: What Erie would do with Mega Millions winnings