What goes best with a big lottery win? How about a fun winner story - or a plate of our state's famous BBQ?
The biggest prize awarded this week also has the most interesting backstory. Back on June 23rd, a Cash 5 ticket sold in the small town of Williamston won the $670,292 jackpot. Willie Bland bought the winning ticket - but he didn't realize it until news of the winning ticket became the talk of the small Eastern North Carolina town.
After a waitress and a store clerk at the Williamston Family Fare both mentioned that the lucky ticket had been sold locally, it clicked for Bland. “I thought, ‘Wait a minute,’ I bought a ticket at the BP station,” he recalled. Bland raced home. He found his Cash 5 ticket. He discovered his numbers matched all five of the winning numbers. He realized he was the lucky winner. “I started hollering and shouting,” Bland said. “What am I going to do now?” Bland plans to use some of his prize money to make his mom’s house wheelchair accessible.
Back to the BBQ. What's a family get together without ice to chill the drinks? It’s that thought that Shirlean McCoy of Salemburg says caused her to stop and buy a bag of ice and the Powerball ticket that made her “dream come true.” Thanks to the $1 Power Play feature and a 3X multiplier, McCoy tripled a $50,000 prize to $150,000. She bought the lucky ticket at the Short STop on Ramsey Street in Fayetteville.
Another $150,000 prize belongs to Robert Newsbitt Jr. of Kannpolis. He's the first to win the top prize on the Silver & Gold Crossword game. Nesbitt’s good fortune happened after he bought the $5 ticket at the Speedway on Warren C Coleman Boulevard in Concord. The game launched in May with four top prizes of $150,000. Three top prizes are still out there.
Christopher Rogers of Greensboro won the $70,301 jackpot in the June 30 Cash 5 drawing. He bought his winning ticket at John's Curb Mart on East Market Street in Greensboro.
Four players won $20,000 to $50,000:
- Charles Culbertston of Wake Forest: $50,000 (Extreme Millions)
- Louis Edwards of Roanoke Rapids: $50,000 (Junior Big Ol' Bucks)
- Yaneli Ramierez of Concord: $25,000 (Scoop the Cash)
- Carson Varner of Troy: $20,000 (Double Match)
Thirteen players scratched their way to $10,000:
- Lisa Andrews of Jacksonville ($200 Million Blowout)
- Adan Avila of Randleman (Ruby Red 7's)
- Stephanie Bradley of Zeubulon (Mega Fortune)
- Gwendolyn Chavis of Raleigh ($1,000,000 Taxes Paid)
- Sergio Contreras of Reidsville (50X The Cash)
- Adam Godette of Havelock ($2,500 Frenzy)
- Cameo Hollingshead of Bessemer City (20X The Cash)
- Andra Johnson of Chapel Hill ($10,000 taxes Paid)
- Michael Leechford of Fayetteville ($5,000,000 Mega Cash)
- Augustine Nzimiro of Raleigh (20X The Cash)
- Tasha Russell of Winston-Salem (20X The Cash)
- Jennie Sanders of Maxton (Loteria)
- Sharon Whitehead of Greensboro (Ruby Red 7's)
Sixteen prizes of $5,000 were awarded. Two of the winners were from Charlotte. The other 14 were from: Belhaven, Burlington, Chadbourn, Erwin, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Hickory, Knightdale, New Bern, Raleigh, Randleman, Wadesboro, West End, and Winston-Salem.
One step outside and there is no doubt that the North Carolina summer is in full swing. We hope that, along with the sunny weather, good luck is part of the forecast for you. Until next time, have a fun and safe weekend.
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Congrats to all winners!!!!
Hi, I'm just curious... If you are a second chance winner, and they try to contact you by phone, will they leave a message? How long will lucke-zone try to contact the winner?
Hope the mountain players will see some luck . Best wishes to all the winners
I finally won $500. Oh happy day
Congratulations!!! To all the winners