Leo Thomas of Aberdeen said his Christmas turned unforgettable when he won a $1 million lottery prize on Christmas Eve.
“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me!” Thomas said. “It’s awesome. It’s a beautiful day.”
The retired post office worker’s good fortune happened when he stopped for gas at the Quality Mart on Old U.S. Highway 1 South in Southern Pines. While there, he bought a $1,000,000 WIN IT ALL scratch-off ticket.
“I couldn’t think at first,” Thomas said. “I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My wife thought I was having a heart attack when I called, because I couldn’t talk.”
Thomas claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. He had the choice of taking a $1 million annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum. After federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $424,503. Thomas said he plans to use some of the money to get his wife a new car. He’ll put the rest in savings.
The $10 ticket launched with four $1 million top prizes. Two top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like $1,000,000 WIN IT ALL make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.
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