North Carolina Man 'Ecstatic' After Scoring $500,000 Jackpot
By Sarah Tate
March 22, 2022
A man in North Carolina was sure he was dreaming when he scored a half-million dollar jackpot but it turns out his dreams are actually a reality.
Ralph Brown, of Wilmington, recently stopped by the Scotchman on South College Road to purchase a $1 Cash 5 Quick Pick ticket for Saturday's (March 19) drawing. To his surprise, he hit the jackpot and won $537,757, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"When I saw I won, I was ecstatic," said the 75-year-old retired postal worker. "Just very, very happy."
Brown claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday (March 21), bringing home a grand total of $381,862 after all state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he hopes to pay off some of his bills.
Even after collecting his prize, it's still hard for Brown to wrap his mind around his major win.
"I only know I'm not still dreaming because I had to drive a couple hours to get here," he joked to lottery officials.
Following Brown's win, the jackpot on Tuesday has been set at $110,000. According to the lottery, the odds of winning the Cash 5 jackpot are 1 in 962,598.