2016, a year of luck for the lottery and players

2016 was a year full of firsts for the lottery. As we head into 2017 we’re taking a look back at some of the most memorable moments.

World Record Powerball Jackpot: The year started with a world record Powerball jackpot that reached over $1.5 billion. That jackpot helped raise $38.4 million for education in North Carolina and created 19 big winners in the state, ranging from $50,000 to $2 million. 

Ultimate Millions Second-Chance Winner: In February, we met Gina Short of Mecklenburg County. The breast cancer patient won $1 million in our Ultimate Millions second-chance drawing. Who can forget her incredible reaction when she found out? She collapsed to the floor in disbelief and excitement.

“If you would have told me, in a million years I still wouldn’t have believed you,” Short said. “I would have said, ‘No you’ve got the wrong girl,’ because that’s what I said to them when they told me I had cancer, ‘No you’ve got the wrong girl.’”

Short was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, and will use the money to help pay for treatments. “I have a second chance,” Short said. “That’s what my whole life is about, second chances.”

Short’s luck didn’t stop, and in May she won the lottery again. This time she won $250,000 playing All or Nothing. 

Lucky For Life Draw Game: February also saw the launch of our third multi-state draw game Lucky For Life. This year we had nine players win the game’s second prize of $25,000 A Year For Life.

Manalle Earnhardt of Salisbury became our first top prize winner in November. She’ll get $1,000 A Day for the rest of her life, thanks to her dad who gave her the winning ticket.

“I don’t have to worry about retirement now,” Earnhardt, a nurse at the VA Medical Center in Salisbury, said. “I don’t have to worry about college for my two boys, or all of these other things. It’s nice to know it’s taken care of.”

Proud Moments In Education: In March, the lottery celebrated 10 years of raising money for education in North Carolina. Since we started, the lottery has raised more than $4.6 billion that’s gone to benefit every county in the state. To mark this milestone, we launched our Proud Moments in Education contest. Ten lucky winners received $20,000 for sharing their proud moment in education. The winners included a Hendersonville woman who overcame homelessness to earn her G.E.D, a Durham student with spina bifida who had brain surgery and still graduated high school on time, and a nine year old boy from Stem who collected books for his school’s library instead of getting birthday presents.

Winner Gets Third Helping Of Good Luck: In April, we met Ralph Havis of Greensboro for a second time. The owner of Beef Burger won $150,000 back in 2014. He got his second helping of good luck after he won $150,000 playing $500 Cash. In May he was back to claim a third big prize, this time he won $1 million playing 100X The Cash.

Playing the lottery is a way for Havis to remember his wife, Alma. The childhood sweethearts were married for 53 years before she died. Getting scratch-off tickets was a tradition for the couple. They would go driving on Sunday afternoons to play the lottery. “She sent down this good luck,” Havis said. “She’s still taking care of me.” Havis gave some of the winnings to his employees and put the rest in savings. 
$10 Million Ultimate Millions Winners: 2016 also brought us two more $10 million Ultimate Millions winners. David Harris, a truckdriver from Rocky Mount, won in May. The Army veteran stopped after work to get a cup of coffee and a lottery ticket. When he scratched the ticket in his truck he discovered he won $10 million. 

“I never thought anything like this would happen, maybe winning a couple hundred but not $10 million,” Harris Said. “This is a blessing.”

Harris said he planned to get his own truck with the money and go to Hawaii.

In September, David Winstead of Nashville won $10 million playing Ultimate Millions. Winstead, a small businessman, said he and his wife would use the prize money to pay all of their bills, make home improvements and set up college funds for their grandchildren.

Carolina Panthers Ticket Launch: In August, the lottery launched its first ever Carolina Panthers scratch-off ticket. The game offered four top prizes of $200,000 as well as a second-chance drawing for a pair of season tickets for 20 years. Stay tuned, we’ll pick a winner in January.

Extreme Millions Ticket Launch: In December, we launched a second $30 ticket. Extreme Millions is a chance for North Carolinians to play like a Ten Millionaire. The game started with four top prizes of $10 million, 22 prizes of $1 million, plus four second-chance drawings for $1 million. This makes Extreme Millions the biggest instant game ever offered in the state.

In December we also had our first $1 million Extreme Millions winner.  Jimmy Bean of Kernersville is a maintenance technician. He had just finished work when he stopped to get his Extreme Millions scratch-off ticket. “It’s pretty incredible, I have to say,” Bean said. “It was just my time.” Bean, a married father of two, said some of the prize money would be used to pay bills. He added that he and his wife might take a trip to Las Vegas.

Congratulations to everyone who won this year. We hope to see even more winners in 2017.