RALEIGH – Concord resident Tonjue Burleson, a service manager for a local car dealership, said that she plans to take a beach vacation after winning $100,000 playing the lottery.

Burleson stopped for gas on the way home from work at Kangaroo Express on Copperfield Boulevard in Concord. While there, she bought four Diamond 7’s tickets for $5 each, but didn’t scratch them until she sat down at home later that night.

“I bought the tickets because they are new and I felt like I had a better chance to win,” Burleson said. “I scratched them off at the table and commenced to doing my happy dance. I have been truly blessed."

Burleson said she plans to use a portion of her winnings, worth $68,001 after state and federal taxes were withheld, to pay bills.

“I appreciate that North Carolina has a lottery,” Burleson said as she held her check for the first time. “It’s great that the state can use this money for the schools. It’s also great to win. I feel wonderful.”

Since the lottery began through June 30, 2011, Cabarrus County education programs received more than $39.6 million in lottery funds. By law, those funds pay for teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction, prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, and college scholarships and financial aid based on need.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.45 billion for these initiatives statewide.