David Porter of Charlotte said Thursday, Dec. 19 just turned out to be another lucky day. First, Porter got a call in the morning that he had won $25 in the monthly Save to Win drawing at his credit union and then that night his lucky numbers won the Carolina Cash 5 jackpot of $141,557.

Porter, a mechanic, claimed his jackpot just five hours after discovering that his lucky numbers from his birthday and his address had been drawn in Thursday’s drawing. The discovery came at the end of his morning routine of taking out his six dogs as he checked the winning numbers posted on the N.C. Education Lottery’s website.

“I was ecstatic, shaking” Porter said. “I went and woke the wife up to check the numbers on my computer for me. She was ecstatic. She was screaming. I was screaming. And the dogs were barking. It was quite a scene.”

Porter said he was surprised to win two drawings in the same day. He said he and his wife are trying to save money and get an entry for the credit union drawing for every $25 they save. “I’ve always had a bit of luck,” he said.

After taxes were withheld, Porter received $96,259. He said he plans to use the winnings to pay bills, fix the roof of his home, and for savings. He bought his Cash 5 ticket at Jerry's Mini Mart on Mount Holly Road in Charlotte.

As of September 2013, the lottery has raised more than $3 billion to support education programs. Lottery dollars support teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction and repair projects, prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, need-based college scholarships and financial aid and digital learning initiatives.

To see how more than $254.5.million in lottery dollars have made a difference in Mecklenburg County, go to the Where the Money Goes webpage at http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/beneficiary.aspx.