RALEIGH – Kenny Cuthbertson, the owner of an office cleaning service in Charlotte, said his first reaction to seeing that he had won the jackpot in the Oct. 10 Carolina Cash 5 drawing was one of disbelief. He said he took a picture of his winning ticket and sent it from his cell phone to his sister’s cell phone so she could check too.

“I said, ‘So I’m not dreaming?’” Cuthbertson said he asked his sister. “She said, ‘No. You’re not dreaming.’”

Cuthbertson bought the ticket, which matched all five numbers, at Adam’s Food Mart on Statesville Road in Charlotte. After taxes were withheld, Cuthbertson received a check for $161,248.

Cuthbertson said he planned to use his prize money to help take care of his 75-year-old mother. He said he may also use some of the winnings to take a trip or a cruise. Asked how he felt about his good luck, Cuthbertson said, “Blessed. Just blessed.”

From March 30, 2006 through June 30, 2011, Mecklenburg County players won more than $215.5 million in prizes and local retailers earned more than $30.1 million in commissions on ticket sales.

During the same time frame, Mecklenburg County education programs received more than $167.3 million in lottery funds. By law, these funds benefit specific programs. More than $58.1 million paid for 1,173 teacher salaries in grades K-3; more than $24.7 million provided 6,509 prekindergarten opportunities for at-risk four year olds; and more than $11.7 million went to 10,429 need-based college scholarships. Mecklenburg County officials decided how to utilize more than $72.7 million in school construction funds provided by the lottery.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2 billion for these initiatives statewide.