Nov 17, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 3 min read

A Uniontown grandmother recently won half of a $394,807 Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 jackpot after buying a ticket at a local drug store. Peggy L. Shaffer of Uniontown received her $197,403.50 check Friday during a formal presentation at Nickman’s Drug Inc. in Lemont Furnace, where she purchased the winning ticket. Twenty-seven percent of her winnings, or about $53,300, will be withheld for federal taxes and Shaffer will get to keep the rest.

Along with Pennsylvania lottery officials, Nickman’s Drug owner James Nickman hosted the event.

Joining Shaffer during the joyous occasion was her husband, Ray Shaffer, and a large group of family members. Shaffer is the mother of three and has four grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. Ray Shaffer is a former independent contractor for the Herald-Standard.

The 20-year employee of the McKnight Personal Care Home in Lemont Furnace said she found she won half of the $394,807 jackpot at 11:30 p.m. Sept. 3 after the numbers were drawn. Shaffer selected the winning combination, using the birthdays of her husband, son and daughter.

After seeing the winning numbers broadcast during the 11 p.m. news, Shaffer left the house at 1 a.m. and went to a nearby lottery retailer to confirm that she had won.

A dedicated lottery player, Shaffer had never won big before until Sept. 3. Her only winnings before that, she said, were confined to bingo games. Ironically, in addition to winning the nearly $200,000 jackpot, she said she also won $2,600 on another lottery game the same day.

Shaffer said she has no idea what she will do with her winnings, but she will likely continue to play.

Ray Shaffer said his wife “plays triples every day.”

The winner of the other half of the jackpot also is from western Pennsylvania. Steven E. Kondrosky of McKeesport received his check on Friday.

To play Cash 5, players select five numbers from a field of 1 to 39. Each game costs $1, and players may select their own numbers or have a quick pick computer selection method do it for them. If a player matches two, three, four or five of the numbers drawn that day, he or she is a cash prizewinner. Players must be 18 years old.

Since inception more than 30 years ago, state officials said $12.9 billion has been contributed by the lottery to programs that have expanded to include property tax and rent rebates, free and reduced fare transit for older citizens, a co-pay prescription drug program (PACE and PACENET) and the 50 Area Agencies on Aging, including 650 full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.