William Jones of Richlands drove to the store to buy a propane tank for his grill and, deciding to try his luck on a scratch-off, bagged a $100,000 win.

“I mainly wanted to get some propane to cook some steaks on the grill,” he said.

Jones, a 32-year-old turkey farmer, bought his lucky $100 Million Mega Cash ticket from the Speedway on South Jackson Street in Beulaville. Jones said he bought an Extreme Cash ticket earlier in the day and won $500 so he decided to try his luck again.

“I tell you what, it was worth the $20,” Jones laughed.

He collected his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $71,016.

Jones said he has a special event in mind that he wants to use his winnings on.

“I think I’ll go ahead and pay for our wedding,” Jones said.

The $100 Million Mega Cash game debuted in May with four top prizes of $2 million and eight $100,000 prizes. Two $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 $900 million per year for education. For details on how $12.1 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Onslow County in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.