Celebrating week's biggest lottery wins statewide

A lucky ticket can show up anywhere, anytime. This week's big winner rewind is a classic example of that.

We start on the Virginia Border in Mount Airy. That's where the biggest win, a $496,189 Cash 5 jackpot, was won by Francisco Ponce-Estrada. He bought a lucky Quick Pick ticket at the Need It Got It in Dobson for the March 20 drawing.

A two and a half hour drive south to the town of Maxton near the South Carolina Border, a $100,000 prize will help the winner recover from Hurricane Matthew. Ronnie Oxendine said he'd use his winnings to replace the roof on his home. He bought the winning Mega Bucks ticket at the Discount Tobacco & Market in Red Springs.

Now hop in the car and head four hours west to the mountain town of Weaverville, located 10 miles north of Asheville. That's home to Donald Henderson who won $200,000 playing the new "7" scratch-off game. He bought his lucky ticket at the Triangle Stop Food Store in Fletcher.

The last leg of this tour of the week's six-figure wins involves another four-plus hour ride to the Fayetteville suburb of Hope Mills. Jason and Tammy Foraker were on a family outing to the movies. On the way back, Tammy stopped at the Alco on Camden Road and bought a winning ticket for the "7" game that won the game's top prize of $200,000. That leaves three more to be claimed.

Two players won $75,000. Tammy Hunter of Statesville won on a Lucky 7's Crossword ticket and Esteban Castillo of Durham won playing Loteria.

A pair of $50,000 prizes were also awarded this week. Charles Mitchell of Ayden won playing 50X The Cash and Forest City resident Angela Hudson got lucky on an Ultimate Millions ticket.

Half a dozen players won between $20,000 and $40,000:

- Clyde Holmes of Kinston: $20,000 (Celebrate 2017)
- Bender Locklear of Red Springs: $30,000 (Triple 7's)
- Steven Locklear of Red Springs: $30,000 (Lucky Gems)
- Synethia Merriman of Greensboro: $40,000 (Double Match)
- Robert Small of Newport: $20,000 (Ultimate Millions)
- Johnnie Vance of Monroe: $20,000 (3/17 Mega Millions drawing)

Eighteen more scratched their way to $10,000:

- Elizabeth mayer of Charlotte (20X The Cash)
- Mickey Elks of Chocowinity ($200 Million Blowout)
- Amalia Bernal of Durham ($10,000 Bonus Cash)
- Amber Richards of Fayetteville ($4,000,000 Platinum Payout)
- Camronn Foote of Gates (Ruby Red 7's)
- Sheldon Capps of Hendersonville ("$")
- Brenda Brown of Jefferson ($400,000 Bonus Cash)
- Cody Young of Louisburg (20X The Cash)
- Monica Rodriguez of Matthews ($1,000,000 Bonus Cash)
- Laura Castro of Monroe (Millionaire Bucks)
- Yuri Berduo of Morganton (Mega Fortune)
- Mary mcGhee of Oxford (Ruby Red 7's)
- Pashion Ricks of Whitakers (10th Anniversary Millions)
- Myra Larkins of Whiteville (50X The Cash)
- Pernell Judd of Willow Spring (50X The Cash)
- Scott Rainey of Winston-Salem (Ruby Red 7's)
- J Simmons of Winston-Salem (20X The Cash)
- Dalton Hardy of Winterville ("7")

Mageda Rizek of Greenville won the top prize of $7,000 in the new $1 Lucky 7's game. There are 13 more top prizes in the game.

Twenty-five prizes of $5,000 were awarded this week. Two of them went to winners from Asheville, three more to players from Charlotte and another pair went to residents of Rocky Mount. The other 18 belong to winners from Catawba, Concord, Dudley, Elizabeth City, Fairmont, Four Oaks, Franklin, Gastonia, Greensboro, Hamlet, Leicester, McLeansville, Mount Gilead, Raleigh, Robbins, Shallote, Stanley, and Zebulon.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, good luck on your next ticket.