Cecil Goddard Jr. of Greenville said he plans to get his dream home after he won $400,000.
“My girlfriend and I want to get a house and a piece of land,” Goddard said. “It’s such a blessing to be able to finally do this.”
The custodian’s good fortune happened when he stopped by Sam’s Jiffy Mart on Memorial Drive in Greenville and got a $5 Big Win scratch-off ticket.
“At first I was scared,” Goddard said. “My heart was pumping so fast! I kept thinking, ‘This can’t be right, something must be wrong.’”
Goddard claimed his prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $278,005.
Big Win launched earlier this month with four top prizes of $400,000. Two top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from instant games like Big Win make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million a year for education.
Congratulations!