RALEIGH - A $234,832 Carolina Cash 5 jackpot on Friday was split by a Fayetteville man who had played his favorite numbers for more than five years and a Winston-Salem couple who picked the same five numbers on a whim two nights before the drawing.

Benjamin Torain of Fayetteville said his lucky numbers were built from his birthday and the birthdays of his wife and daughter. He bought his ticket at the Kangaroo Express on Parmalee Drive in Fayetteville. Torain’s share was $117,421. He said he planned to give away a tenth of his winning, $79,847 after taxes, to churches and people he knows in need and use the rest to pay off bills and help his family.

“To me it is a lot of money,” Torain said. “Some people can make that in a job in a year. I’ve never had a job that paid as much as I’m going to get after taxes are paid.”

The other half of the jackpot was split by Bill and April Richee of Winston-Salem. Bill works as a technical manager and April works in customer service.

“I just sat down Wednesday night – April was working – and I just started picking numbers,” said Bill Richee. “I couldn’t see any significance to them. After I won, I tried to figure out how I picked them.” Both enjoy playing the lottery and have won smaller prizes before. “I hope it’s not the biggest,” said Bill. Added April: “We hope this is just the beginning.”

The couple bought their winning ticket at Xpress Food Mart on South Main Street in Winston-Salem. After taxes, they each received a check for $39,922. They said they planned to use the money to pay off bills.

From March 30, 2006 through June 30, 2010, Cumberland County players have won more than $120 million in lottery prizes and county retailers have earned more than $15.9 million in commissions on ticket sales. During the same time period, Cumberland County education programs have received more than $62.4 million in lottery funds. By law, those funds benefit teacher salaries, school construction, need-based college scholarships and prekindergarten programs.

In Forsyth County, players have won $89.6 million in prizes from March 30, 2006 through June 30, 2010, and county retailers have earned $11.9 million in commissioners. Forsyth County education programs have received more than $49.3 million in lottery funds.

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