Kimberly Ayers of Pfafftown is taking home the first top prize of $200,000 in the new $500 Loaded game.

Ayers had the day off Friday and was out shopping at the Harris Teeter on Robinhood Village Drive in Winston-Salem when she decided to purchase the $5 ticket. Groceries bought and lucky ticket in hand, she headed back to her car and started scratching. When the very first number she scratched off revealed the top prize of $200,000, she couldn’t believe it.

“I was absolutely shocked,” Ayers said. “I had to clear my eyes to make sure it was real.”

Ayers says the money will make life a little easier, and plans to use her prize to pay off her bills.

She claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $141,501.

The Loaded ticket family launched on Tuesday, with tickets ranging from $1 to $10 and top prizes ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. Ayers won the first top prize in the $500 Loaded ticket, beating odds of 1 in 1.68 million. The $500 Loaded ticket started with 5 top prizes of $200,000. Four more top prizes remain to be claimed.

Ticket sales from games like $500 Loaded make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how $21.9 million in lottery funds made a difference in Forsyth county last year, visit the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.