Kathy and Ronnie Meeler of Dallas said they started practicing their dance moves after they won $1 million playing the $200 Million Blowout scratch-off game.

“We couldn’t believe it,” Ronnie exclaimed. “We started doing the happy dance.”

Their good fortune happened when Kathy stopped at the QSC Food Mart on South Main Street in Stanley on Sunday night to get lottery tickets.

“I got two tickets for him, and decided to get two tickets for me,” she said. “When I got home I let him choose his own tickets. I held them up and said, ‘Eenie meenie miney mo.’”

Ronnie scratched his tickets, but didn’t win anything. That’s when Kathy started scratching.

“She matched the Number 40 and said, ‘I think I have a winner,’” Ronnie said. “It felt like she was scratching so slowly after that!”

When Kathy finished and realized she won $1 million, she was in shock.

“I had to take the ticket outside and hold it up just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things,” she said.

The excitement of winning kept them both from going to sleep.

“It’s been a long night,” Kathy said. “We had to pinch each other this morning just to make sure it was real.

First thing Monday morning they drove to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim their prize. They had the choice of taking a $1 million annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. They chose the lump sum and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $416,599. The Meelers plan to use the money to get a new house. Kathy also wants to get a canary yellow Dodge Charger.

The $20 ticket launched in October 2014 with four top prizes of $4 million and 16 prizes of $1 million. One $4 million prize and three $1 million prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like $200 Million Blowout make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Gaston County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.