Dylen Ward of Clinton said he plans to use a $250,000 lottery prize to make his fiancé’s dream come true.

“She has a car that doesn’t work that well right now,” Ward said. “She’s always dreamed of having a Mustang, so I’m going to get her a black one.”

The cabinet maker’s good fortune happened Friday night when he stopped by the Bonnettsville Kwik Mart on Roseboro Highway in Sampson and bought a $250,000 Diamond Dazzler scratch-off ticket.

“I was just so happy,” Ward said. “I spent the whole weekend itching to get here.”

Ward claimed the prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $176,254.

The $5 ticket launched in September with five top prizes of $250,000. One top prize remains.

Ticket sales from instant games like $250,000 Diamond Dazzler make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.