RALEIGH – After 18 years of marriage, Brady and Antonia Coats of Tega Cay, S.C. can finally enjoy the Hawaiian honeymoon they never got a chance to take after winning $1 million playing the 50X The Cash game.

“This is such an amazing feeling,” Brady said. “We’re going to go play in the sand in Hawaii and celebrate our marriage.”

The couple, who both work for Wells Fargo, purchased the lucky $10 ticket at the Rivergate Express on Walker Branch Drive in Charlotte on Memorial Day.

“We had just won $50 on some other tickets and were about to drive away,” Brady said. “Then I looked at her and said ‘You know the big prize could be in the next few tickets.’ So she went back in and bought five more tickets.”

“I scratched it off while he was pulling out of the parking lot,” Antonia said. “When he saw what we had won, he just kept driving in circles around the gas station. He didn’t know where he was going. Looking back, it was pretty hilarious.”

A $1 million prize in the game can be claimed in 20 annuity payments of $50,000, or a one-time payment of $600,000. The Coats chose the lump sum and collected a check for $415,503 after required state and federal withholdings. They said they also plan to use their winnings to pay bills and help their family.

“You read the stories in the paper about lottery winners,” Brady said. “But you never expect to be the story. We woke up on Monday and our life changed.”

“I never thought it would happen to us,” Antonia agreed. “It was a Memorial Day we’ll never forget, that’s for sure.”

As of Wednesday morning, two more $1 million prizes remain to be claimed in the 50X The Cash game.

Ticket sales have made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $3.8 billion for the state. 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, for school construction and repair, and need-based college scholarships and financial aid.

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