RALEIGH – Sarah Murray, a retiree from Fuquay-Varina, is the final player to win the $150,000 top prize in the Jumbo Jingle Bucks game.

She purchased the lucky $5 ticket at the Buy & Go on Old Honeycutt Road in Fuquay-Varina.

“I was standing there deciding what to buy and the ticket just jumped out at me,” Murray said. “It seemed to be saying ‘Here I am,’ so I had to buy it. I’m glad I did.”

After required state and federal withholdings, Murray collected a check for $103,876. She plans to use her winnings to pay bills and buy a car for her granddaughter.

“I love to play the lottery,” Murray said as she collected her winnings on Tuesday. “It’s just fun and it’s entertainment for me.”

Ticket sales made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion for the state last year. North Carolina Education Lottery net proceeds will be used this year to help pay salaries of teachers and teacher assistants, for pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, school construction and repair, and need-based college scholarships and financial aid.

For details on how $275.1 million in lottery funds have made a difference for specific education programs in Wake County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.