RALEIGH - Dara ViVongsy of Wake Forest got an extra special birthday/anniversary gift this year. Her husband bought her a “$130 Million Blockbuster” instant scratch-off ticket that revealed itself to be worth $1 million!
ViVongsy scratched off the winning ticket on Friday night but didn’t believe she had really won until she came into the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) headquarters today to have the ticket validated. Her husband bought the winning ticket at Smokers Express #3118 on Durham Highway in Wake Forest.
The $1 million prize is paid out as an annuity?$50,000 per year for 20 years. ViVongsy has already received her first check for $50,000 (less Federal and State withholdings). When asked what they will do with the prize money, ViVongsy said they plan to use the money for their children’s college education, pay off their mortgage, and invest.
ViVongsy is the fourth player to claim the $1 million prize on the “$130 Million Blockbuster” game. There are still six of the $1 million prizes available, as well as tens of thousands of other prizes in the game.
How would you splurge if you won $200,000 playing Powerball? For Nancy Fiedler of Charlotte, it came in the form of dessert. When Fiedler and her husband realized their ticket for the Sept. 27 matched all five white balls and was worth $200,000, they went out for a celebratory dinner. Fiedler says they splurged and ordered a hot fudge sundae since they’d won the lottery.
Fiedler bought her winning ticket from the Amoco Food Shop on East Independence Boulevard in Charlotte. Her ticket matched all five white balls to win the top non-jackpot prize. Fiedler says she plans to use the money for her retirement.
For Ruth Gill of Fayetteville, Powerball is her lucky game. She was elated to learn that her Powerball ticket for the Sept. 27 drawing was worth $200,000.
“I’m so glad the lottery is here,” Gill said. “It has helped education and has made so many people happy!”
Gill is now one of those happy to say they have won. Her ticket matched all five white balls drawn to win the top non-jackpot prize. She bought her winning ticket at Kangaroo Express on South Main Street in Hope Mills and plans to save her money for the future.
Glen Whittaker of King has his adult son to thank for winning $100,000 on the “Platinum Payout” game. Whittaker was at the Friends Mart on Highway 66 South in King when his son, Mike, suggested that he buy four of the “purple tickets” and maybe he’d win $50,000. Whittaker says he wasn’t planning to buy them, but then changed his mind at the last minute.
Back at home, Whittaker scratched off the ticket and didn’t believe his eyes. One of the tickets revealed the top prize of $100,000! He says he told his son, “Well, I didn’t win $50,000 … I won $100,000!” Whittaker says he plans to use his winnings to take an early retirement.
Kia Perry of Williamston was hoping for some mega bucks when she bought a “Mega Bucks” instant scratch-off ticket from Country Mart on North Haughton Street in Williamston. Perry scratched off the ticket at the store and says she was in shock when it revealed the top prize of $100,000!
In the Saturday, Sept. 27, Powerball drawing, there were numerous big winners in North Carolina. In addition to Gill’s $200,000 Powerball prize, two more tickets matched all five white balls and are worth $200,000 each. These tickets were sold at PD Grocery & Deli on Sawmill School Road in Granite Falls and Amoco Food Shop on East Independence Boulevard in Charlotte.
Five tickets matched four out of five white balls plus the Powerball in Saturday’s drawing. The normal payout for this combination is $10,000, but two of the five tickets were Power Played. Since the multiplier for the drawing was 4, these two tickets are worth $40,000 each. The tickets were sold at Hot Spot on Leichester Highway in Asheville and Freddy Stop Food Mart on Bingham Drive in Fayetteville.
The three tickets that were not Power Played are worth $10,000 each. They were sold at Stanley’s BP on Hwy 25/70 in Marshall, Browns Summit Shell on N.C. 150 in Browns Summit, and CJ Food Store on Gum Branch Road in Jacksonville.
A total of 70,444 North Carolina Powerball players won prizes in Saturday’s drawing, ranging from $200,000 down to $3 for a total payout in prizes worth $1,305,054. One ticket in New Mexico matched all five white balls plus the Powerball to win the jackpot, so the jackpot for the Wednesday, Oct. 1, Powerball drawing is an estimated $15 million.
“Carolina Cash 5” players were lucky this weekend, too. In the Sept. 27 “Carolina Cash 5” drawing, one ticket matched all five white balls to win the top prize of $149,918. This ticket was sold at Simon’s Mart on The Plaza in Charlotte.
In the Sept. 28 “Carolina Cash 5” drawing, one ticket matched all five white balls to win the top prize of $50,000. This ticket was sold at Mody’s Quick Shop on Prosperity Church Road in Charlotte.
The NCEL has paid out more than $5.1 million total in instant scratch-off ticket prizes since Thursday, Sept. 25. Also since Thursday, “Carolina Cash 5” players have won nearly $306,000 and “Carolina Pick 3” players have won nearly $910,000 in prizes.
