RALEIGH – A Dunn woman got a big surprise early Wednesday morning. Dianna Sills, a customer service sales representative, scratched off her Ruby Red 7’s instant ticket before work. She was stunned to win $1 million.

“It’s like you’re in a dream,” she said. “I don’t really know how to explain it.”

Sills heard about the Ruby Red 7’s game from her brother. At Sills’ request, he bought a ticket for her at the Kangaroo Express on Long Branch Road in Dunn. The $10 ticket turned out to be worth $1 million.

Rather than claim her $1 million prize in annuity payments of $50,000 a year for 20 years, Sills chose the $600,000 cash option. The after-tax value of her prize totaled $408,006. A native of North Carolina, Sills was undecided about plans for her winnings, but shared one possibility.

“The big thing I thought I’d always like to do is buy a house at the beach,” Sills said. “That was my dream.”

Along with draw games, sales of instant tickets such as Ruby Red 7’s make it possible for the N.C. Education Lottery to raise money to benefit specific education programs in all 100 counties.

Since the lottery began through June 30, 2012, Harnett County education programs received more than $28.7 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 $2.6 billion for these initiatives statewide.