Jerry Wood of Raleigh said he plans to use part of his $100,000 lottery prize to help victims of Hurricane Dorian.

“There’s a lot of people out on Ocracoke Island that still need help,” Wood said. “We were able to help a little after it first hit, but now this puts us in a position to do more.”

The construction worker’s good fortune started Tuesday afternoon when he stopped by the Quality Food Mart on South Main Street in Wake Forest on his way home from work. While there, he decided to get a $5,000,000 Mega Cash scratch-off ticket. He went to his car, and used the NC Lottery Official Mobile App to check his ticket.

“When it said it was a winner I thought, ‘Great! Maybe I won $1,000,’” Wood said. “When I scratched the front of the ticket, and saw that I won $100,000, I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it.”

Wood immediately called his wife, and they drove straight to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim their prize. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $70,756. In addition to helping the victims of Hurricane Dorian, Wood said he plans to save for retirement.

The $20 ticket launched in May 2017 with three $5 million prizes, six $1 million prizes, and six $100,000 prizes. One $5 million prize and one $1 million prize remain.

Ticket sales from games like $5,000,000 Mega Cash 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.