A $200,000 Thanksgiving Eve lottery win means Thomas Matthews Jr. of Burlington can get a new truck for Christmas.

“It’s been giving me some problems,” Matthews said. “So it will be nice to get a new one.”

Matthews, a construction worker, was on his way to get his truck washed when he bought a 20X The Cash ticket. When he scratched it, he couldn’t believe his
good fortune.

“I started crying,” Matthews said. “I still feel like I must be dreaming.”

It started to feel real when he claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $138,501.

Matthews bought the $5 ticket at Kim’s Mart on West Webb Avenue in Burlington.
20X The Cash launched in February with nine top prizes of $200,000. Three top prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like 20X The Cash made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year. For details on how more than $56.3 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Alamance County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.