For Charles Cagle of Asheboro, a scratch-off ticket from his wife turned into a $100,000 birthday present.

“My wife bought the ticket for my birthday,” said Cagle. “It’s the 29th. I’ll be 71.”

Cagle’s wife bought the lucky $20 Mega 7’s ticket from Ready Mart on South Fayetteville Street in Asheboro.

After scratching the ticket at home, he called in his wife from outside.

“I called her and told her she needed to look at something,” said Cagle. “We sat silent for a minute to make sure, then we were really happy.”

He arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to collect his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $71,016.

“When it’s in the bank, I’ll believe it,” said Cagle, a retired golf course superintendent.

Cagle plans to pay bills with his winnings.

Mega 7’s debuted in October with four $2 million prizes and eight $100,000 prizes. Three $2 million prizes and five $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day for education. For details on how $8.3 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Randolph County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.