The third time’s the charm for Cameron Grice of Winterville after he won $1 million playing the 10th Anniversary Millions scratch-off game.

Grice, a UPS worker, made the decision to get the ticket on a whim. “I don’t normally play the lottery,” Grice said. “This is only like my third time playing.”

That decision paid off, and Grice still can’t believe he won.

“It seems like a dream,” Grice said. “It’s just random, really, really, random.”

Grice bought the $10 ticket at the Sheetz on County Home Road in Greenville.
Grice claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. He had the choice of taking a $1 million annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum and after federal and state tax withholdings received $415,503. He plans to use the money to get a car and a condo.

10th Anniversary Millions launched in April with four top prizes of $1 million. Three top prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like 10th Anniversary Millions made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how almost $65.7 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Pitt County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.