Julia Earp of Wilmington is the first player to spin the lottery’s BIG SPIN prize wheel and win $350,000.

She spun the wheel Tuesday during a live event in Raleigh. Surrounded by cheers and applause, she grabbed the wheel, spun it as hard as she could, and watched eagerly to see what prize she would land on.

“I figured no matter what I won, I’d be tickled with what I got,” Earp said. “I came out with more than I had when I came in, so this is amazing!”

The grandmother of eight said she’s a big game show fan and developed a strategy of how to spin the wheel.

“My plan was to spin the wheel so hard that I’d fall on my heinie,” Earp said with a laugh.

Earp’s good luck started well before she entered the TV studio. It started when she stopped on her way to work at the Circle K on Oleander Drive in Wilmington and bought The BIG SPIN scratch-off ticket. When she realized she had the chance to win half a million dollars, she couldn’t believe it.

“Whenever I thought about the fact that I won, I’d say, ‘Thank you Jesus!’” said Earp, who cares for the elderly. “I’m still saying it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”

After required state and federal tax withholdings, Earp took home $247,518. She plans to use the money to take care of her grandchildren including paying for their schooling.

The BIG SPIN scratch-off ticket launched earlier this month. The $5 game has three levels of play. Players can win a cash prize instantly, or get directed to a website where they can spin a digital wheel and win a cash prize or a BIG SPIN. If they win a BIG SPIN prize, they get the chance to spin the BIG SPIN prize wheel during a live event and win up to $500,000.

Ticket sales from games like The BIG SPIN make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 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.