Bridget Jones and her husband, James, of Lexington will have enough for a down payment on their first home after winning the first top prize of $150,000 in the new Season’s Gold game.
The mother of five stopped by Kelly’s High Rock Grocery on N.C. 8 in Lexington for gas and bought the $5 ticket.
Scratching the ticket in her car, she couldn’t believe her luck when she realized she had won $150,000.
“I thought I was going to pass out,” recalled Jones. “I didn’t think it was real! It still doesn’t feel real!”
Jones claimed her prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $104,253.
“We weren’t sure what Christmas was going to be like this year,” said Jones. “But this will really help us out. It came at a perfect time.”
The scratch-off game launched on Nov. 7 with four top prizes of $150,000. Three top prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from instant games like Season’s Gold make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million dollars a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Davidson County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.