Chapel Hill man to buy new home - North Carolina Education Lottery

Robert A. Farris Jr.
Commission Chairman
DATE: JUNE 2, 2011
CONTACT: VAN DENTON
PHONE: (919) 301-3308
Chapel Hill man to buy new home with $1 million Powerball prize
- Brunswick County woman claims $200,000 Powerball prize -
- Nash County woman to purchase new car with $100,000 prize -
RALEIGH – Rich Wright of Chapel Hill started his day Thursday like he does many days, checking his lottery
numbers as he sat with his family around the breakfast table. He always plays his set of lucky numbers – special
birthdays – and had purchased 10 chances at the $200 million jackpot the night before.
As he matched his tickets to the winning numbers on the N.C. Education Lottery‟s website, he saw that one of his
tickets had matched all the white balls, getting five of the six numbers.
“I knew I had power played so I knew it was a million dollars,” Wright said a few hours later at NCEL headquarters. “I
couldn‟t believe it. I said, „Oh, my God.‟ And my family said, „What?‟ And I said, „We just hit the lottery.‟”
Wright, a sales manager for a company that sells and installs central vacuum systems, said he always buys the $2
Power Play tickets because he knows if he wins the prize will be bigger. Under the Power Play option, matching the
numbers of five white balls results in an automatic $1 million win, while wins from other lower tier prizes are
multiplied by the Power Play number.
Wright said he planned to use his prize money, $680,000 after taxes were withheld, to pay off bills, buy a new home,
and take his family, including his two daughters, to Disney World. He bought the winning ticket at the Buy & Go on
Northwest Ephesus Church Road in Chapel Hill.
In Wednesday‟s Powerball drawing, 49,174 players won prizes ranging from $3 to $1 million for a total payout of
$1,396,421. In addition to Wright‟s $1 million win, four other North Carolina Powerball players won $10,000 in the
drawing. A ticket sold in New York matched all six numbers and won the $200 million jackpot. The Powerball jackpot
for Saturday, June 4, is reset to an estimated $20 million or $10.5 million as a lump sum.
Wednesday‟s wins continued a lucky streak for North Carolina Powerball players. Karen Peele, a hairstylist from
Oak Island in Brunswick County, plans to pay off her car loan and save for her three children after claiming a
$200,000 prize in the Saturday, May 28 drawing. Peele matched all five white balls but not the red Power Ball. She
learned of her win when her husband stopped at a local retailer on his way to work Sunday morning to have the
ticket scanned.
“He thought we had only won maybe a thousand dollars,” Peele said. “But I logged on the lottery website and saw
how much you win if you match five numbers. I‟m still in shock.” Peele said she may use a portion of her winnings,
worth $136,000 after taxes, to purchase a new car.
“I‟m ecstatic,” Peele added when she held her check for the first time. “It‟s real. I feel great. I‟ll sleep easy now.” The
winning ticket was purchased at the Kangaroo Express on Market Street in Wilmington.
Phone: 919.301.3300 • Fax: 919.715.8833
2100 Yonkers Road • Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
www.nc-educationlottery.org
Alice Garland
Executive Director

In the Tuesday, May 31 Mega Millions drawing 9,301 players won prizes ranging from $2 to $450 for a total payout
of $55,311. Because no ticket matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, Friday‟s jackpot is an estimated $15
million if taken as an annuity or $9.7 million as a lump sum payment.
Cecilia Magana, a garden store clerk in Bailey in Nash County, plans to purchase a new car and save for the future
after scratching off the $100,000 top prize on her EZ Grand ticket. She purchased her ticket at the Tropicana Food
on Pender Street in Wilson. Magana received a check for $68,001 after taxes were withheld. As of Thursday, two
$100,000 top prizes remain unclaimed in the EZ Grand game.
The North Carolina Education Lottery has paid out more than $3.6 million in instant scratch-off ticket prizes since
Tuesday, May 31. Carolina Pick 3 players have won more than $564,000. Carolina Pick 4 players have won
$152,000 including nine tickets that won the top prize of $5,000. Carolina Cash 5 players have won more than
$75,000.
Winners in the June 1 Powerball drawing:
Winners Hometown Amount Won Store Where Ticket Was Purchased
Rich Wright Chapel Hill $1,000,000 Buy & Go #1
106 N.W. Ephesus Ch. Rd., Chapel Hill
Unknown Unknown $10,000 Bradshaw‟s Food Mart
1302 S. Post Rd., Shelby
Unknown Unknown $10,000 U Pick Food Mart
2406 Neuse Blvd., New Bern
Unknown Unknown $10,000 Downeast Travel Centers Inc.
2600 U.S. 1175, Goldsboro
Unknown Unknown $10,000 Kangaroo Express #3956
1627 E. Main St., Lincolnton
Winner in the May 28 Powerball drawing:
Winners Hometown Amount Won Store Where Ticket Was Purchased
Karen Peele Oak Island $200,000 Kangaroo Express #3122
6480 Market St., Wilmington
Winner in the May 27 Carolina Cash 5 drawing:
Winners Hometown Amount Won Store Where Ticket Was Purchased
Sherrill Jimison Canton $50,000 Mountain Energy #118
301 Smokey Park Highway, Asheville
Winner in the May 20 Mega Millions drawing:
Winner Hometown Amount Won Store Where Ticket Was Purchased
Marlisia Vinson Charlotte $10,000 Wilco #74
10925 University City Blvd., Charlotte
Instant scratch-off ticket top tier prize winners:
Winner Hometown Amount Won Game Played
Cecilia Magana Bailey $100,000 EZ Grand
Angel Lopez Charlotte $50,000 Loteria
Lottie White Charlotte $50,000 $50,000 Jackpot
Rosalene Sneed Cherokee $30,000 Bingo
Faye Kiser Winston-Salem $10,000 $200,000 a Year for Life
Rebecca Carter Concord $5,000 Cash Spectacular
Tanika Hamilton New Bern $5,000 Cash Spectacular
Albert Johnson Cary $5,000 $200 Million Extravaganza
Richard Lea McLeansville $5,000 $200 Million Extravaganza
Toro Matthews Jacksonville $5,000 $200 Million Extravaganza
Laura Patterson Shelby $5,000 Cash Spectacular
Gregory Phifer Mooresville $5,000 Quick Bucks
William Sharon Stokesdale $5,000 $200 Million Extravaganza
Xian En Zheng Fort Mill, S.C. $5,000 $200 Million Extravaganza
Phone: 919.301.3300 • Fax: 919.715.8833
2100 Yonkers Road • Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
www.nc-educationlottery.org

Carolina Cash 5 Jackpot Winners Tally
Prize # of winners
$50,000 to $856,998 396
Powerball Winners Tally
Prize # of winners
$74.5 Million - $141.4 Million 3
$200,000 - $2 Million 204
$10,000 - $100,000 1191
Mega Millions Winners Tally
Prize # of winners
$12 Million and above 1
$250,000 - $1 Million 27
$10,000 - $40,000 102
The Powerball numbers are since May 31, 2006.
The Mega Millions numbers are since Feb. 1.
The totals do not include unclaimed prizes.
# # #
North Carolina Education Lottery net proceeds are used for pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk
four-year-olds, reduction of class size in early grades, school construction and need-based college scholarships.
For prizes of $5,000 and greater, 25% federal tax and 7% state tax are automatically withheld.
Phone: 919.301.3300 • Fax: 919.715.8833
2100 Yonkers Road • Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
www.nc-educationlottery.org