With 2026 nearly here, let’s look back at some of the memorable winning moments we shared in 2025:
January: Iredell County man gets early birthday gift of $4 million
- Shawn Snook of Statesville celebrated his birthday a day early after a lucky Mega Millions ticket won him a $4 million prize. He said the timing of the win is perfect since his family just started building a house.
February: Durham man bowls his way to $246,222 Cash 5 jackpot win
- Durham resident Dennis Whicker turned a lucky day of bowling into a $246,222 Cash 5 jackpot win. Whicker said his total score for three games was 777. After a friend told him he must be lucky, he bought a $1 lottery ticket and he won big.
March: Raleigh teacher will use $1 million lottery win for his retirement
- Robert Vandenberg of Raleigh will have a more comfortable retirement after a second-chance drawing delivered him a $1 million top prize. Vandenberg, a kindergarten teacher, said he was “ecstatic” when he got the notification that he won.
April: Lee County woman “on cloud nine” after $250,000 second-chance win
- A phone call in the middle of a workday became a moment Bonny Harmon of Sanford will never forget when she found out she won the $250,000 grand prize in a second-chance drawing. “My head is still up there in the clouds,” Harmon laughed.
May: Columbus County man wins $1 million on “wild hair”
- Kenneth Formyduval of Whiteville said he got a “wild hair” and decided to trust his gut, leading to a $1 million scratch-off win. “It was like a once-in-a-lifetime dream,” he said recalling his winning moment.
June: Winston-Salem man “tickled to death” with $10 million top prize win
- Christopher Sink of Winston-Salem felt an urge to buy a $50 scratch-off and his instinct paid off with a $10 million win. He said he stared at the winning ticket for so long that he started to worry about it. “I didn’t want the wind to blow it away,” he laughed.
July: Wilson County mom tells kids after $4.7 million jackpot: “We are millionaires”
- Cesaltina Ribeiro of Elm City immediately called her children after a $1 digital instant won her a $4.7 million jackpot, the second largest digital instant prize in North Carolina lottery history. “I kept yelling so they didn’t know what was going on,” she laughed.
August: Davidson County grandma will help her family with $100,000 win
- LuAnn Chico of Lexington thought first of her grandchildren after a $20 Ruby Red 7’s scratch-off won her a $100,000 prize. “I have four grandchildren and they are our first priority,” she said.
September: Family numbers win Johnston County man a $2 million Powerball prize
- Daryl Steinhoff of Clayton put together some numbers important to his family in a Powerball drawing and they won him a $2 million prize. “I was ecstatic and in disbelief,” Steinhoff said. He planned to use his winnings to buy a house.
October: Gaston County man “let out a big old yell” after $1 million Cash 5 jackpot win
- Ray Walker of Gastonia could not help but scream after his $1 Cash 5 ticket won him a $1 million jackpot. “I hollered and jumped up and down,” he recalled laughing. He said he had to wet his face to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
November: Wilmington couple will buy a home for their family with $1 million win
December: Onslow County teachers share $100,000 Powerball prize
- Nine teachers from Swansboro Elementary School have played Powerball together for years and their group efforts paid off with a $100,000 win. “Fifteen years ago it just kind of started as a joke and we were walking down the hall going, ‘If we won that we could retire early.’” The teachers split the $100,000 win evenly between them.
With so many extraordinary winners in 2025, we can’t wait to meet all the lucky winners coming in 2026!
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