Harnett County woman felt overwhelmed by ‘surreal’ $200,000 win

Linda Benefiel of Fuquay-Varina said she will never forget the feeling of winning a $200,000 scratch-off prize.

“It was surreal and just overwhelming,” Benefiel said. “We’re still in awe.”

Benefiel said she got home from work Monday night after a long and stressful day and a Lightning 7’s scratch-off was waiting for her.

“My honey bought it for me,” Benefiel said. “He said for some reason that one stood out to him.”

Her partner bought the lucky $5 ticket from Chalybeate Store on U.S. 401 North in Fuquay-Varina. Benefiel said that once she started scratching and saw how much she won, she yelled at him to come look.

“He got so excited and said, ‘We won $200?’” she recalled. “I told him, ‘No, we won $200,000. Next thing I know we were both crying.”

Benefiel arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to claim her prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $142,501.

“We decided we are going to pay off our mortgage,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful feeling.”

The Lightning 7’s game debuted in June with six $200,000 top prizes. Three $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.8 million a day on average for education. Harnett County received a $10 million state grant, with money raised by the lottery, to help build a new elementary school. For details on other ways money raised by the lottery made a difference in Harnett County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.