Three years ago, Bryan Oxenfeld of Clover, S.C. fashioned a set of lucky numbers out of family birthdays and began using them regularly to try his luck with North Carolina’s Carolina Cash 5 game.

“I knew it would pay off,” Oxenfeld said, “I just didn’t know when.”

The payoff came on Feb. 8 when Oxenfeld’s numbers won the Cash 5 jackpot of $425,227.
He claimed his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After the required tax withholdings, he received $294,471.

Oxenfeld said he planned to use the money to pay off student loans. He said his good luck would also help his family provide support to a daughter with special needs.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on South Tryon Road in Charlotte.

Ticket sales from games like Cash 5 made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how almost $352 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Mecklenburg County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.