RALEIGH – Charles Reffitt, a resident of Cary who does home improvements, said he plans to use the $1 million prize he won playing Powerball to save for retirement. Reffitt matched all five white balls but not the red Powerball in Wednesday night’s drawing.

Reffitt learned of his big win on Thursday evening when the clerk at the Grocery Boy Jr. on Kildaire Farm Road told him someone in the store had won.

“He told me to check my ticket so I handed it to him,” Reffitt said. “He started jumping up and down and said I had won a million dollars. I signed the ticket and put it right back in my wallet. I couldn’t believe it. I was so anxious, I couldn’t sleep at all.”

Bhushan Dhingra, the store’s owner, was excited to learn about Reffitt’s good luck.

“He is a very good customer,” Dhingra said. “It’s awesome that we sold him the winning ticket. It’s just a really good feeling and I’m happy for him.”

Reffitt also plans to use a portion of his winnings, worth $680,000 after state and federal taxes were withheld, to go on a vacation and share with his children.

“This money means security,” Reffitt said as he collected his winnings. “I feel like a lot has been lifted off of us. This is a blessing.”

As of June 2013, the lottery has raised more than $2.9 billion to support education programs. The benefits of lottery dollars include money to support teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction and repair projects, prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, college scholarships and financial aid based on need and digital learning initiatives.

To see how more than $189.4 million in lottery dollars have made a difference in Wake County, go to the Where the Money Goes webpage at http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/beneficiary.aspx.