Retiree thought his jackpot win was a dream — but claiming NC prize was a wake-up call
A North Carolina jackpot winner thought he was dreaming — until it was time to claim the big prize.
Ralph Brown had a wake-up call when he got on the road to cash in his ticket at the N.C. Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh, officials said March 22 in a news release.
“I only know I’m not still dreaming because I had to drive a couple hours to get here,” Brown, a 75-year-old Wilmington resident, told lottery officials as he laughed.
Brown relished in his $537,757 prize after he visited a Scotchman convenience store in Wilmington. While there, officials said he tried his luck on the Cash 5 game.
He spent $1 on his ticket but matched enough numbers to score big in the March 19 drawing.
“When I saw I won, I was ecstatic,” Brown said in a news release. “Just very, very happy.”
Brown, a retired postal worker, kept $381,862 after taxes. He said he will put his winnings toward bills.
The retiree beat 1-in-962,598 odds to hit the jackpot, and he wasn’t the only prize winner to think he was dreaming at first.
In November, a North Carolina man had that feeling after his scratch-off ticket led to a big windfall, McClatchy News reported.
That same month, officials said a South Carolina lottery player wondered if she was in a dream when her luck took a turn.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Retiree thought his jackpot win was a dream — but claiming NC prize was a wake-up call."
