RALEIGH – Domenic Morabito and Debra Talley, a couple from Southport in Brunswick County, purchased a brand new 2013 Chevrolet Equinox after winning the $100,000 top prize in the Super Lucky 7’s game.

They purchased their winning $5 ticket on Saturday afternoon at the Kerr Drug on North Hope Street in Southport.

“We stopped in to play our usual numbers,” Morabito said. “Then Debra asked for one of the Super Lucky 7’s tickets and I said let’s get two. As we drove off, she was scratching the tickets. She won ten dollars on the first one and then she started telling me to pull over so she could get out. There was a lot of excitement on the side of that road. It was a scene, for sure.”

The couple said they plan to use a portion of their winnings, worth $68,001 after state and federal taxes were withheld, to pay bills, help their church and travel.

As they waited for the check to be processed, Talley spoke about her appreciation of the lottery’s effect on education in the state.

“It’s important that the schools get this help,” Talley said. “I wish more lotteries helped education like they do in North Carolina. It’s a very good thing.”

Morabito and Talley’s claim marks the beginning of a lucky streak for players in Brunswick County from this past weekend. A Carolina Cash 5 ticket sold on Saturday matched all five numbers and is worth $661,409. The ticket was sold at the Palms Grocery on Ocean Highway East in Winnabow. The winning numbers were 8-18-19-28-35.

A Mega Millions ticket sold in the Aug. 31 drawing matched four out of five white balls and the yellow Mega Ball and is worth $10,000. The ticket was sold at the Food Lion on Clippers Way in Sunset Beach. Players have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize.

Since the lottery began through June 30, 2011, Brunswick County education programs received more than $15.8 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.