RALEIGH – After three years playing the lottery together each week, Robert Ventry of Belmont and Benjamin Kroll of Charlotte hoped that one day they’d win big. Their hope came true on Friday when their Quick Pick ticket matched all five numbers in that night’s Cash 5 drawing, winning the $289,952 jackpot.

“We started out just playing the Powerball and Mega Millions,” said Ventry, a beer salesman in Gaston County. “Then one day I looked at the odds and suggested that we start playing Cash 5. Boy, am I glad we did.”

“It’s nice to play together because it cuts the cost in half and then we get to split the winnings,” said Kroll, a meat cutter at BI-LO.

Ventry purchased the lucky $1 ticket at Food Lion on Moores Chapel Road in Charlotte. The ticket beat odds of 1 in 575,757 to win the jackpot.

“I always said we were going to come to Raleigh to claim a big prize one day,” Ventry said.

“And here we are,” added Kroll. “And it feels awesome.”

After state and federal taxes were withheld, Ventry and Kroll each collected a check for $100,396.

“I’m going to pay off a lot of bills, share with my kids and save the rest for the future,” Ventry said.

“A lot of this will go to my kid’s education,” Kroll said. “And I’m sure we’ll take a nice vacation.”

The jackpot for the Wednesday, June 24 Cash 5 drawing is $50,000.
Ticket sales made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars 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 lottery funds have made a difference in North Carolina, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.