Carson and Pauline Roark of Charlotte get to start their dream business of flipping houses after winning a $136,468 Cash 5 jackpot.

“It’s something I’ve dreamed about for a long time,” Pauline said.

“We know how to do most of the work ourselves,” Carson said. “It’s going to be great to get the whole family working together. We’ve got no excuses now.”
The couple beat the odds of 1 in 749,398 to win a Cash 5 jackpot in Sunday’s drawing.

When Pauline checked the ticket, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

“I’m used to looking at them and they don’t match,” Pauline said. “But this time they all lined up.”

She had her son double check, and sure enough she was holding a winning ticket.

“Holy Cow! I did it,” Pauline exclaimed when her son told her. “I hit the lottery.”

She immediately called her husband at work, but he didn’t believe her.

“I told her this is not a good time to pull a joke like that,” Carson said.

But she wasn’t joking, and they claimed the prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, they took home $94,506.

Carson bought the $1 Quick Pick ticket at the Gate on Lawyers Road in Stallings.

Ticket sales from games like Cash 5 made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Mecklenburg County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.