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Cancer survivor's birthday made brighter with $5m lottery win

Airport delay for the win!

Donna Osborne of Lancaster County receiving her $5 million Pennsylvania Lottery check.
Donna Osborne of Lancaster County receiving her $5 million Pennsylvania Lottery check. Photograph credit to the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Todd Betzold

Sick of her flights being delayed, this Pennsylvania Lottery player decided to just head home, and it paid off big time!

From airport delay to $5 million payday

The lucky winner, 75-year-old Donna Osborne of Lancaster County, happened to be at the airport before her life was about to change. She told Lottery officials that she and her daughter were on their way to Florida to see family.

However, the flight kept getting delayed. She said it was delayed so many times that she just decided to go home, which was a blessing in disguise. While she missed out on seeing her family, she did say:

I would have never bought that ticket!

While on her way home, Osborne stopped at Speedway, located at 3180 Oregon Pike in Leola, and bought a scratch-off ticket called MONOPOLY™ Own It All. She scratched the ticket right in the store parking lot, and it turned out to be a great purchase, as she won $5 million!

Osborne said:

I could not believe my eyes! I went back into the store and said, “Can you please check this? Is it right or wrong?” Well, the clerk said, “It's right!”

For selling the winning ticket, the Speedway will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Pennsylvania Lottery.

The winner recently finished radiation treatment

The win brought out a lot of emotions for Osborne, who said winning came just in time for her birthday. But also, it was a bittersweet win for her because she just finished radiation treatment for breast cancer.

After getting confirmation of the win, she immediately called up her daughter, who was in Florida, and she didn't believe her.

'Have to keep moving'

It definitely was real, as Osborne recently received a commemorative $5 million check from Lottery officials. Now, with the money in hand, what will the grandmother and great-grandmother do?

She currently provides transportation for the Amish for a living and has been doing that for decades. Even with the $5 million win, she said she doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon.

She said:

I don't know what I'd do with myself, I have to keep moving. I think I'll invest some of the prize, sure, but then go to Alaska!

The check presentation

Osborne recently headed to the Pennsylvania Lottery Headquarters, located at 1200 Fulling Mill Road, Suite 1 in Middletown, to receive her winnings. She was presented with a commemorative $5 million check.

Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne said:

We wish Donna the best of birthdays as we celebrate her for winning this big Scratch-Off prize. Donna told us that she's been playing the lottery for a long time, and it's thanks to players like her that the PA Lottery is able to not only create millionaires but also help seniors live a good life.

As for the game, MONOPOLY™ Own It All is a Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket. It went on sale on December 26, 2023, and is a $50 game. The top prize for the game is $5 million. If you happen to have a winning scratch-off ticket you are holding onto, they do expire one year from the game's end-sale date, which is posted on the Pennsylvania Lottery website.

Enjoy playing the Pennsylvania Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.

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