‘Prize of a lifetime’ tops biggest wins this week

What would it be like to win $50,000 a year for life? James Weller of Charlotte is experiencing it. He’ll receive a check for $50,000 every year for the rest of his life. The game guarantees the prize to a winner or his estate for at least 20 years, making the prize worth a minimum of $1 million. At age 37, Weller hopes the prize is worth much more. “I have to figure out a way to live to be 100,” he said as he collected his winnings at lottery headquarters.

Another big winner this week is a social worker from Raleigh who won $250,000 in the historic Mega Millions drawing on March 30. Eliezer Vazquez said that he appreciates that the funds generated by the lottery support education. “I figure it’s for a good cause,” Vazquez said. “I sometimes work in schools, so I get to see some of those efforts first-hand.”

A two-day lucky streak for Billy Jack Lassiter of Durham ended Thursday when he scratched off $100,000 on a Carolina Black instant ticket. His good luck began Wednesday when he won $100 playing instant games. On his way home from work Thursday afternoon, he used some of the $100 prize money he’d won the day before to buy a pair of Carolina Black instant tickets. As he began to scratch the first ticket, he saw the $100,000 prize.

Big prizes were won or collected playing Powerball and Mega Millions since last week’s update. Here are more details on those wins:

• $10,000 Powerball (Wed. 8/1): Robbie Diemer, Wilmington
• $10,000 Powerball (Wed. 8/1): William harding, Charlotte
• $10,000 Powerball (Wed. 8/1): Terry Mangum, Raleigh
• $10,000 Mega Millions (Tue. 7/31): Deniz Evin, Charlotte
• $10,000 Mega Millions (Tue. 7/31): ticket sold in Goldsboro
• $10,000 Mega Millions (Tue. 7/31): ticket sold in Charlotte
• $10,000 Powerball (Sat. 7/28): Angela Cooke, Goldsboro
• $40,000 Powerball (Sat. 7/28): ticket sold in Winston-Salem
• $10,000 Mega Millions (Fri. 7/27): Ernest Betz, Sylva
• $10,000 Mega Millions (Fri. 7/20): Nicholas Anderson, Carrboro

Looking at North Carolina’s draw games: Carolina Pick 3 players won more than $1.7 million in prizes; Carolina Pick 4 players won more than $639,000, including 17 top prizes of $5,000; and Carolina Cash 5 players won more than $286,000. Someone bought a Cash 5 jackpot ticket worth $62,403 in the July 27 drawing at the Lowe’s Food on Central Park Avenue in Pinehurst.

Instant scratch-off players collected more than $11.2 million in prizes since the last update. The biggest wins were awarded to:

• Gordon Cole of Charlotte who won $50,000 playing Cash Spectacular
• Daniel Hardigree of Winder, Ga. who won $50,000 playing Junior Big Ol’ Bucks
• Maronica Hill of Fayetteville who won $30,000 playing Money! Money! Money!
• Carl Bannis of Morganton who won $10,000 playing Extreme Green
• Ronald and Rebecca Thrift of Germanton who won $10,000 playing Jumbo Bucks

In all, North Carolina players won more than $14.5 million in prizes this week. Until next time, have a great weekend and see you next time here in the Lucke-Zone.