The most recent Carolina Cash 5 jackpot belongs to a Columbus County couple. Lottie and Sylvia Williams of Whiteville claimed their $248,982 prize after their Cash 5 ticket was the only one to match all five numbers in the Saturday, Aug. 13 drawing.

Lottie Williams discovered his family's good fortune early Sunday morning. “I jumped up out of my truck, went inside and told my wife,” he recalled. Williams purchased the winning ticket, worth $169,308 after taxes, at Hill’s Food Store on JK Powell Boulevard in Whiteville. The couple said they plan to pay off some bills and take care of house repairs with their winnings.

The Williams’ prize is the fifth Carolina Cash 5 jackpot to ever be awarded to a Columbus County winner. In 2007, a Riegelwood resident won a $370,904 jackpot prize. Since the lottery began through June 30, 2010, Columbus County players won more than $18.3 million in lottery prizes and local retailers earned more than $2.2 million in commissions on ticket sales.

During the same time frame, Columbus County education programs received more than $12.2 million in lottery funds. By law, lottery funds benefit teacher salaries, school construction, need-based college scholarships and prekindergarten programs.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2 billion for the state and education initiatives it serves.