“Sheer luck”. That’s how Patrick and Jackie Welch of Morganton say they won a $100,000 playing the Ruby Red 7’s scratch-off game.

“We rarely play the lottery,” Jackie said. “Maybe a dozen scratch-off tickets our entire lives.”

Jackie is a media coordinator at Burke County schools and Patrick works at a power company. They were on their way to a swim meet when they stopped for a cup of coffee at the Fast Phil’s on Taylorsville Road in Statesville. Jackie asked Patrick to get a scratch-off ticket when he went in.

At first, Patrick thought he had a $2 ticket, but then realized he bought a $20 one. “I almost decided to return it,” Patrick said. “But the line was so long I decided not to.”

Minutes later, he was glad he had kept it. The $20 ticket turned out to be a $100,000 winner.

“We were completely caught off guard,” Jackie said. Added Patrick “We had to look at it eight or 10 times.”

The couple claimed the prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, they took home $69,507. Patrick plans to use some of the money to get a new Toyota Tacoma, since his son is driving the one he currently has.

Ruby Red 7’s launched in June with three top prizes of $4 million, four prizes of $1 million, and eight prizes of $100,000. One $4 million prize, two $1 million prizes, and four $100,000 prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like Ruby Red 7’s made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Burke County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.