Dale Curtis of Shelby plans to celebrate his 21st birthday in style, thanks to a $200,000 lottery win.

“It feels pretty amazing,” Curtis said. “It’s a nice birthday present. I’m going to take my mom and go to bike week at Myrtle Beach.”

His good fortune happened when he stopped to get a snack at the Campus Store on North Main Street in Boiling Springs.

“I had a couple of extra bucks,” Curtis said. “So I decided to get the ticket.”

When he scratched the $5 ticket he was in shock.

“I almost dropped dead,” Curtis said. “I was freaking out internally. I had to have the girl at the counter look at it to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.”

Curtis claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $139,003.

20X The Cash launched in February with five top prizes of $200,000. Three top prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like 20X The Cash 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 Cleveland County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.