Lakisha Henry from Clinton and David Brinson from Magnolia have shared a friendship for seven years, and after sharing a set of lucky numbers, they each have the prize of a lifetime.

Two tickets sold for last Thursday’s Lucky For Life drawing beat the odds of one in 1.8 million to win the game’s second prize of $25,000 A Year For Life. Henry had one ticket, Brinson had the other.

They play the game regularly, but this time Henry decided not to use her own numbers.

“She told me, ‘I’m going to write down your numbers,’” Brinson said. “I told her she needed to write down her own numbers, but she didn’t.”

“He’s good with numbers,” explained Henry, a home health care aide. “He’s pretty lucky.”

Brinson called Henry at work when he found out they both won.

“I made him read off the numbers to me because I didn’t believe it,” Henry said.

Brinson said he’s no stranger to luck. He’s a cancer survivor.

“I feel the same way I did before I won the money,” Brinson said. “I’m more excited to be cancer free.”

Henry and Brinson claimed their prizes Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. Players who win the game’s top prize of $1,000 A Day For Life or the second prize of $25,000 A Year For Life can collect the payment for as long as they live. They also had the option of getting a lump sum of $390,000.

Both Henry and Brinson chose the cash option. After federal and state tax withholdings, they each took home $270,075. Henry plans to use the money to pay off her house. Brinson plans to use the money to help his family.

The friends bought their $2 tickets at the Magnolia Food Mart on North Monk Street in Magnolia.

This makes nine times since the game launched in February that a ticket sold in North Carolina has won the $25,000 A Year For Life prize.

In all, 21 lotteries offer the Lucky For Life game. Players have 10 ways to win a prize playing the game. Drawings are held every Monday and Thursday night.

Ticket sales from games like Lucky For Life made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million for the state last year. For details on how that money is benefiting all of the counties in North Carolina click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.