RALEIGH – Gregory Robinson, a mailman from Durham, plans to use the $296,447 prize he won playing Carolina Cash 5 to pay off his mortgage.

Robinson beat odds of 1 in 575,757 when he matched all five numbers in the April 7 drawing. He learned of his big win on Tuesday morning after checking the numbers on his Quick Pick ticket against those on the lottery’s website.

“I thought I was dreaming,” Robinson said. “I woke up my wife to check the numbers and she said it was real. It was a real shocker. This feels good.”

After state and federal taxes were withheld, Robinson received a check for $205,141. He purchased the lucky ticket at American Dollar Store on Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham.

Ticket sales have made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $3.19 billion for education programs statewide. Net proceeds are used for prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction and need-based college scholarships and financial aid and digital learning.

For details on how more than $61.2 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Durham County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.