Kenneth Schaefer of Apex was killing time before work on Monday when he tried his luck on a few scratch-offs and won a $100,000 prize.

“I left the house early because I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I ended up at the gas station just to kill some time before work.”

Schaefer purchased his lucky $20 ticket from the Circle K on West Williams Street in Apex.

“This was the last ticket that I was gonna buy,” recalled Schaefer. “I bought the one previously before it that I hit $20 on and I said, ‘Okay, this is gonna be it. Either I win on this one or I go to work.’ And when I hit it, I just started crying.”

Schaefer claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $70,756.

“It’s definitely going to change my life,” said Schaefer. “I’ve got a couple of bills to pay off and then I’ll set aside some money to take my kids on vacation after COVID.”

The $150 Million Cash Explosion game launched in October 2018 with four top prizes of $4 million, six $1 million prizes, and ten $100,000 prizes. Two top prizes, one $1 million prize and two $100,000 prizes remain to be won.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how $62.6 million made a difference in Wake County in 2019, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.