RALEIGH – Dan Royal of Forest City says his Valentine’s Day win of $750,000 from the Jumbo Bucks game means his family will have an easier life.

“I work hard and take care of what I’ve got,” said Royal, a carpenter, on Wednesday. “I’m not in dire straits or anything. But this right here is a cushion.”

Royal said he bought one Jumbo Bucks ticket Tuesday at the Little Cubbard on U.S. 64 in Rutherfordton. “Walked back out to the truck and scratched it off, and I couldn’t believe what I saw,” he said. “I carried it back into the store and asked the girl there to verify what I was looking at. I didn’t know if my eyes had gone bad or what.”

After the sales clerk confirmed the win, Royal, an Army veteran, drove to Raleigh and stayed overnight in a hotel room so he could be at lottery headquarters when the doors opened. After taxes were withheld, he received $510,003.

Royal said he will buy a new Chevrolet Silverado and a new fishing boat. He said he plans to share some of his good luck with his mother, who lives nearby.

“I am just so glad I can give to her because she has given to me all my life,” Royal said. “She’s going to get her place paid off and have money in her pocket.”

The second Jumbo Bucks winner was Maxine Alley of Sparta. Alley, a retail employee, bought her ticket at 4 Brothers on N.C. 21 in Sparta. After taxes, she also received $510,003.

As of Wednesday, seven more top prizes of $750,000 remain to be claimed in the Jumbo Bucks game.

Through June 30 of last year, Rutherford County has received $13.9 million in education funds from the lottery and players there had won $18.5 million in prizes. Alleghany County has received $2.3 million for education and players there have won $3.4 million. To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for education initiatives statewide.