Steven Johnson of High Point had a Valentine’s Day he’ll never forget after he won a $197,085 Cash 5 jackpot.
Johnson beat odds of 1 in 749,398 to match all five numbers in the Feb. 14 drawing.
Johnson, a truck driver for 18 years, got a $1 Quick Pick ticket at the Quick Check on U.S. 1 in Rockingham on his way home from work.
When he found out he won, he couldn’t believe it.
“I kept looking at my phone and then at the numbers on the ticket,” Johnson said. “I just kept thinking, ‘They can’t be the numbers.’”
But they were, and he claimed his prize Monday. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $136,976. He plans to use the money to pay bills and help his family.
Ticket sales from games like Cash 5 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 Guilford County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.