Gregory Rogers of Wilmington credits a lucky mistake for winning a $339,119 Cash 5 jackpot.

“I won on a bad draw,” Rogers said. “I’m so lucky. I’m so very lucky!”

His good fortune happened when he stopped by the Kangaroo Express on Eastwood Road in Wilmington to get a Cash 5 ticket.

“I asked the clerk to get me an EZ Match Cash 5 ticket,” Rogers said. “Instead, he printed a regular one. He was going to print me another ticket, but I said, ‘Nah, I’ll go ahead and take it.’ I’m sure glad I did.”

The ticket turned out to be a winner, and beat odds of one in 749,398 to match all five numbers in Tuesday’s drawing.

Rogers didn’t realize how much he won until he went to the lottery claim center in Wilmington. “When the lady told me I needed to go to Raleigh,” he said. “I just went, ‘Wow! This is amazing!’”

Rogers drove to lottery headquarters in Raleigh and claimed the prize Wednesday. After required state and federal tax withholdings, Rogers took home $235,691. He plans to use the money to pay medical bills.

“My wife is a three-time breast cancer survivor,” Rogers said. “This will help us pay for everything. It’s awesome. It’s indescribable. I’m just so grateful.”

Cash 5 players have the option of adding EZ Match to their ticket for $1. This gives them the chance to win up to $500 instantly.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.