RALEIGH – Gaston County residents Larry and Peggy Lineberger plan to use the $100,000 they won playing the N.C. Education Lottery’s holiday-themed game $100,000 Treasure Tree to travel and add to their savings.

“Larry was eating lunch and I was scratching my tickets,” Peggy said on Wednesday. “I saw the dollar sign and the number one and thought I’d won $10. Then I saw a zero and then another zero. I just could not believe it.”

The Linebergers, who live in Bessemer City, made their lucky purchase at the Kingsway on Dallas Cherryville Highway in Dallas. Larry said the most he had won playing the lottery before was $100. They received a check for $68,001 after taxes were withheld.

“You always dream of something like this,” said Larry, a retired utility maintenance technician. “It’s something that happens to other people. I feel wonderful. I never thought we’d hit a big one, but it’s real now.”

Larry Lineberger said he’s glad the money raised by the lottery goes to support education. “It’s one of the reasons we play the lottery,” he said. “The schools and teachers need all the help they can get.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, four more top prizes remain to be claimed in the $100,000 Treasure Tree game.

From March 30, 2006 through June 30, 2011, Gaston County players won more than $75.4 million in prizes and local retailers earned more than $9.3 million in commissions on ticket sales.

During the same time frame, Gaston County education programs received more than $44.8 million in lottery funds. By law, these funds benefit specific programs. More than $12.5 million paid for 254 teacher salaries in grades K-3; more than $11.6 million provided 3,042 prekindergarten opportunities for at-risk four year olds; and more than $3 million went to 2,752 need-based college scholarships. Gaston County officials decided how to utilize more than $17.5 million in school construction funds provided by the lottery.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.1 billion for these initiatives statewide.