Thomas Frye of Charlotte said he bought the winning ticket for Monday’s $349,027 Cash 5 jackpot while out doing a good deed.

On Monday, Frye donated an old bed frame to the Salvation Army. On his way back, he stopped at the Adams Mart on East Independence Boulevard in Matthews and bought a ticket.

“I always use a combination of my own numbers and a Quick Pick,” said Frye, a retired real estate salesman. “But this time I decided to use all Quick Pick.”

Frye found out he won the next morning.

“I just kept looking at the tickets,” Frye said. “I had to check the numbers at least three times.”

Frye claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $246,937. He plans to save the money.

“This is a big boost to our retirement,” Frye said. “It’s amazing to have this. I feel so blessed.”

Cash 5 is a statewide draw game that gives players the chance to win a jackpot every single night. Tickets cost $1 and players can buy tickets at most lottery retailers or through Online Play on the lottery’s website. His ticket beat odds of one in 962,598 to win the jackpot. The jackpot for tonight’s drawing is $120,000.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds help all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website https://www.nclottery.com.