Compelling stories accompany week's biggest wins

Before we get to the biggest wins of the week, a quick heads up to be on the lookout for a blog post on Sunday night about a social media promotion we’ll be starting Monday. So, if you don’t already, head over to our Facebook page and “like” us so you can jump in and participate!

Our three biggest winners this week all shared interesting stories with us.

We’ll start with a story of million-dollar luck you’ve got to love. It is about a dad from the town of Cornelius in Mecklenburg County, Toolsie Ratiram, who took his 18 year-old daughter to the store to buy her first lottery ticket. Each of them got a $2 Quick Pick for the Feb. 24 Powerball drawing. And dad’s turned out to be worth $1 million. “I feel like a million bucks,” Ratiram said as he claimed the prize money Thursday.

The next story of good fortune this week belongs to Fausto Pancheco Almedia of Selma, a town in Johnston County. Almeida, a custodian, bought a Cash 5 ticket for the March 4 drawing. He found out he matched all five numbers the next morning. Almedia thought he won $50,000 – until he got to lottery headquarters and discovered he won nearly nine times that amount: $444,739.

And the third tale starts with an evening run for coffee that turned into $100,000 thanks to a Crossword Money Multiplier ticket. Roger Coleman, a truck technician from Darlington, S.C., works in Greensboro during the week and gets a cup of coffee and a lottery ticket every night. After scratching off the top prize, Coleman said he’d donate some of his winnings to his church - and then get a motorcycle.

Another Carolina Cash 5 jackpot winner, Blois Ginn of Snow Hill, collected her prize money this week. She won $58,244 in the March 6 drawing.

Five players won $50,000 this week, including George Gianola of Lincolnton. He matched four white balls and the red Powerball in the Feb. 27 drawing to win. The other four scratched their way to $50K:

• Norman Jordan of McLeansville (10X The Cash)
• Cody Shoe of Oakboro (Ultimate Millions)
• Curtis Ledbetter of Rockingham (10X The Cash)
• Edward Gibbs of Clayton (Jumbo Bucks)

Linda Brooks of Shelby won $25,000 instantly on a Gold 7’s ticket. A dozen more won $10,000 on scratch-off tickets:

• David Mitchell of Marion (10X The Cash)
• Chrystal Hudson of Connelly Springs (50X The Cash)
• Donald Morgan of Stanfield (50X The Cash)
• Thomas Mitchell of High Point (Platinum 7’s)
• Penny Miller of High Point (Millionaire 7’s)
• Anthony Morgan of Cary ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
• Kelly Miles of Oneida, TN (Jumbo Bucks)
• Jonathan Breeze of Burlington (20X The Cash)
• Cheryl Pittman of Fayetteville (Diamonds & Dollars)
• Carolyn Hagaman of Boone (100X The Cash)
• Dennis Newbern of Powells Point (5X The Cash)
• Taylor Smith of Trinity (Millionaire 7’s)

Another week of games, winners and fun is in the books. Whatever you have planned for the weekend, we hope you have a good and safe one. And we’ll see you next time here in the Lucke-Zone.