Eight players celebrate big wins, including $3 million prize

What are your favorite things to do in spring in North Carolina? Some folks like to catch a baseball game, go fishing, or just hang out at a cookout. We recently had eight lucky lottery winners "spring" up at headquarters to collect big prizes – including a $3 million instant winner.

We were with the $3 million winner, James Foard Jr. of Statesville, as he celebrated his big win Friday morning at the lucky store where he bought his ticket for the $120 Million Cash game. A lifelong furniture maker, Foard said winning the prize would allow him to continue working and retire comfortably.

Close to the Virginia border, a Roanoke Rapids woman said she planned to buy a new house after scratching off the top prize on a $500 a Week for Life! ticket. Jamelia Mailey, who works as a career path coordinator said the win was "life-changing."

The thing about good luck is you never know when it might show up. Larry Huffin, a truck driver from Johnston County, was in Raleigh to meet a friend when he stopped for water at the Kangaroo Express on South Saunders Street. That's where he bought a $5 ticket for the Bonus Jackpot game - and won $150,000 instantly.

Four Cash 5 players claimed their jackpot winnings this week:

West of Charlotte in Gaston County, a retired real estate appraiser bought a Cash 5 ticket that turned out to be quite valuable. Ronald Riviello of Bessemer City recently started playing Cash 5 to try out the new EZ Match feature. Although he won a few prizes that way, it turns out he won the $146,313 jackpot in the April 20 drawing.

Another Cash 5 jackpot winner, Gwendolyn Macopson of Shelby, said her $136,546 in prize money would allow her to pay her bills - and take a vacation. "This feels really good," the Cleveland County resident said as she collected her winnings. "This makes me more comfortable."

Our third Cash 5 jackpot winner this week said his lucky win came just in time to help pay for an Outer Banks wedding in May and to invest in building his small construction company. Derek Sappah of Wake Forest had one of two tickets that matched all five winning numbers in the April 17 drawing, winning him $134,425.

The other winner in the drawing is a retired firefighter from Union County. Richard Mason of Monroe checked the lottery's website the morning after the drawing and found out he won $134,425. “It feels pretty nice to win,” Mason said. “I’m going to live a little more worry-free.”

Cleveland County resident Gilbert Hamrick won $100,000 on a Cold Hard Cash instant ticket. He scratched off the top prize on the $5 ticket after purchasing it at Kangaroo Express on Cleveland Avenue in Kings Mountain.

A pair of big Powerball prizes were claimed this week. Darryel Treadwell of Greensboro won $10,000 in the Jan. 29 drawing and Dorthis Faison of Kenansville Power Played her way to $30,000 in the April 16 drawing. A $10,000-winning ticket for the April 19 drawing, sold at the Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy on South Hughes Boulevard in Elizabeth City, has yet to be claimed.

Six players scratched their way to $10,000 prizes this week. They are:

• Patricia Benton of Hertford (EZ Money)
  
• Harold Craig of Creedmoor ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Omar Hakdaoui of Knightdale ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Taylor Harris of Hillsborough ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Earl Henderson of Snow Camp ($5,000 a Week for Life!)
  
• Russell Johnson of Harmony ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  

In all, more than $22.6 million in prizes were won this week and we look forward to finding out who's next to win.

Until next time, have a fun and safe weekend. See you soon here in the Lucke-Zone.