‘It’s just amazing’ says Onslow County woman of $100,000 prize

For Annie Hart of Jacksonville, winning a $100,000 prize on a lottery ticket gives her the chance to buy her first home.

On her way home from running errands on Tuesday, Hart stopped at the Walmart on Western Boulevard in Jacksonville and purchased two sets of scratch-off tickets.

Later that afternoon, once she was back home, she decided to scratch her tickets. After winning $40 on one ticket, she moved on to her lucky $25 Extreme Cash ticket.

“I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wait a minute,” recalled Hart. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was like, ‘Hmm, I won $100.’ Then I looked at it again and I said, ‘That’s more than $100!’”

Hart, who worked in food services at Camp Lejeune for 37 years, claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday. After federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $70,757.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” said Hart. “I still can’t believe it. It’s just amazing.”

With her winnings, Hart hopes to purchase her first home. “I’m hoping I can find me a house and buy it,” she said. “I used to pray that I could win some money and buy something of my own instead of paying rent all the time."

Extreme Cash launched in March with three top prizes of $1 million and 10 prizes of $100,000. One $1 million prize and three $100,000 prizes remain to be won.