A regular customer of a Terre Hill convenience store will have an easier time paying for his daughter's wedding now that he's won $1 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Shabbir Sadiq, owner of A-Jay's Mini Mart, said the man recently was saying how he could use a winning ticket:

"Last week, he told me, 'Hey, Jeff' — my nickname is Jeff — 'I need money.' "

Sadiq asked why, and the man, identified by a lottery spokesman as Ronald Groff of Terre Hill, said his daughter was getting married and his pension wasn't that much.

Groff bought a Mega Millions ticket with the $1 Megaplier option Tuesday morning. The Megaplier increases the value of the prize.

Had Groff not opted for the Megaplier, he would have had to settle for $250,000. That's also the amount that will be withheld for federal taxes, according to the lottery.

Groff found out he won when he checked his ticket at the store Wednesday morning, Sadiq said.

Groff started jumping around when he realized he had matched Tuesday's winning numbers — 39, 44, 51, 52, 54.

"The first thing he said was he got the money for his daughter's wedding," Sadiq said.

Groff also won $3,000 on a scratch-off ticket several years ago, Sadiq said.

Sadiq's store has never sold a $1 million ticket before, though it did sell one that won about $500,000 six years ago.

Sadiq will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

He plans to use it for tuition — he has two daughters and a son in college.
dnephin@lnpnews.com