RALEIGH – Jerry Hawkins, a retiree from Roanoke Rapids, plans to use the $165,395 jackpot he won playing Carolina Cash 5 to travel and share with his family. His lucky Quick Pick ticket matched all five numbers in Wednesday’s drawing.

“I went to the store the next day and asked the clerk to print out the winning numbers,” Hawkins said. “I said ‘I’ve got one. I’ve got two. No, I’ve got three.’ Then the clerk picked up the ticket and scanned it and told me I had all five numbers. I thought I had won maybe $500. When he told me what I’d won, my mind just went blank. I couldn’t believe it.”

After state and federal taxes were withheld, Hawkins received a check for $114,453. He purchased the lucky ticket at the 5 Points Food Mart on N.C. 903 in Roanoke Rapids.

“One reason I play the lottery is because I know it helps the schools,” Hawkins said as he collected his prize on Thursday afternoon. “I don’t always win, but I know it’s going to a good cause. But it sure feels great to win.”

Ticket sales have made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $3.3 billion for the state. Net proceeds are used for prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction, digital learning initiatives, need-based college scholarships and financial aid.

For details on how more than $17.4 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Halifax County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.