Nora McDaniel, a longtime cook from Rockwell, got a serving of good luck when she won $200,000 playing Carolina Black.
McDaniel, who works the breakfast shift at a local restaurant, bought the $5 ticket after work on Saturday when she stopped by Danny’s Place on West Main Street in Rockwell. When she scratched the ticket and saw how much she won she couldn’t believe what she saw.
“My eyes got big and I started smiling,” McDaniel said. “I thought, ‘Yee-haw I hit the big one!’”
McDaniel claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After federal and state tax withholdings, she received $138,501. While McDaniel doesn’t have plans for the money yet, she knows she’s going to keep cooking.
“I love cooking,” McDaniel said. “I love watching people eat my food, it’s my passion.”
Carolina Black launched earlier this month with five top prizes of $200,000. Three top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like Carolina Black made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how almost $51.6 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Rowan County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.