Three $1 million prizes are largest of the week

We’re less than a week from the official start of summer.  But North Carolina is already heating up and last week the big wins were stacking up. From June 7-13, players scratched and matched their way to more than $20.4 million in prizes, including three $1 million wins.

Katie Wheless, a waitress from Bunn in Franklin County, “landed” on her $1 million prize playing MONOPOLY. After her shift at work ended, she bought two $10 MONOPOLY tickets. “I won $15 on the first ticket and was feeling pretty good,” Wheless said. “I scratched off the second one and I couldn’t believe it. I looked at it over and over.”

Carl Boyd, a grain farmer from Roxboro in Person County, won his $1 million playing the Ruby Red 7’s game. “I had just gotten done moving some hay with a friend,” Boyd said as he claimed his winnings at lottery headquarters. “I scratched off a black seven and saw it was a million dollar prize. I was out of breath. It still hasn’t hit me entirely. It doesn’t seem real.”

A Triad family is sharing the $1 million Powerball prize won by a ticket for the May 25 drawing. The prize was divided among four members of the Murray family. Robert and Annie Murray, a couple from Greensboro, received $350,000 apiece. Their daughter Nichelle and son Rodney received $150,000 apiece.

Here are the stories of five more big winners:

Glenn Mace, a fireman and lifelong resident of Gastonia, is among the biggest Carolina Cash 5 jackpot winners in N.C. Education Lottery history. The $1 ticket he bought at Mountain Stop on Archie Whitesides Road in Gastonia matched all five numbers in Thursday’s drawing to win the $611,447 jackpot.

Phillip Hicks of Pittsboro is the first player to win the top prize playing the lottery’s $200,000 Extreme Cash game. Three top prizes of $200,000 remain to be claimed.

Clayton B. Cameron, Jr., a retired animal control officer from Southport in Brunswick County, had a taste for home cooking and lottery tickets, and his indulgence quickly paid off with a $100,000 win in the MONOPOLY scratch-off game.

Amanda Williams, a paralegal studies student from Granite Falls in Caldwell County, decided to stop by a convenience store for water on a hot day – and won a cool $100,000. Her husband, Eric, and their two children were heading home after a weekend camping trip when the family decided to stop for refreshment at the Market Basket convenience store on N.C. 268 West in Wilkesboro. Amanda bought water and two Mega Bucks tickets. Eric scratched off the lucky ticket just as Amanda was driving away from the store. “He just yelled at me and screamed,” recalled Amanda. “His face went white, my face went white, and we just high fived. Everybody was screaming.”

Esther Hall, a home healthcare professional from Salisbury, won a $50,000 prize and a new 2013 Toyota Tundra in the June 3 Carolina Cash 5 Bonus Bucks drawing. “I was surprised when I checked my ticket and saw I had won,” Hall said. “It felt good. I may drive the truck, but my son will probably drive it more. We can certainly use it, and the money will help me save for the future.” The next Bonus Bucks drawing is scheduled for July 24 and the entry deadline is July 17.

Seven players claimed instant scratch-off wins of $10,000 to $30,000:

• James Coleman of Jacksonville won $30,000 playing Double Match
• Elise Thomas of Mount Gilead won $20,000 playing $4,000,000 Gold Bullion
  
• Thomas Carney of Beaufort won $10,000 playing 10X The Payout
  
• Phillip Eckels of Kannapolis won $10,000 playing Hot Streak
  
• Danny Haynes of Kings Mountain won $10,000 playing $5,000 a Week for Life!
  
• Dwight Hicks of Greensboro won $10,000 playing Maximum Green
  
• Betsy Olive of New Hill won $10,000 playing $5,000 a Week for Life!
  

Three tickets won $10,000 in drawings held over the weekend. A Mega Millions ticket worth $10,000 was sold at the On the Run store on Copperfield Boulevard in Concord (Cabarrus County). Powerball tickets worth $10,000 each were sold at the Kangaroo Express on Fairview Road in Charlotte and at Andy’s Mart on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro.

Thanks for reading the Lucke-Zone Blog, congratulations to the winners and best of luck to everyone!