A message inside a fortune cookie inspired John Carter of Trinity to try his luck on a $5 scratch-off and win a $200,000 prize.
“We had Chinese food last night and we got a fortune cookie that said, ‘Don’t miss out on your chance to win big,’” Carter recalled.
He heeded the message and went to the Hillsville Country Mart on Hillsville Road in Trinity and bought a Pot of Gold scratch-off.
“I was thinking the fortune cookie was a sign,” Carter said. “It had to be fate.”
He scratched the ticket right away in the store.
“I started seeing zero, zero, zero,” Carter said. “I thought, ‘This has got to be a dream.’”
He arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to claim his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $143,001.
Carter said he plans to pay some bills and buy a boat to use for fishing.
The Pot of Gold game debuted in December with four $200,000 top prizes. Since Carter won the last top prize, the lottery will begin the process of ending the game.
Randolph County has received over $29 million from money raised by the lottery to build a new middle school. For details on other ways the lottery helps benefit education programs in Randolph County, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.
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