Michelle Harrison of Thomasville said she plans to use a $100,000 lottery prize to restore her historic home.
“The house was built in the 1920’s and has a wraparound porch,” said Harrison, who works as a phlebotomist in an emergency room. “We’ve been fixing it up little by little, but this will let us finish it.”
Harrison bought the winning $150 Million Cash Explosion scratch-off ticket when she stopped to get an energy drink at the Food Mart on Randolph Street in Thomasville.
“I don’t normally play the lottery,” Harrison said. “But since my husband does, I decided I wanted to get a ticket for myself.”
She took the $20 ticket home and scratched it.
“My heart was beating out of my chest,” Harrison said. “I didn’t believe it. It’s amazing!”
Harrison claimed her prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $70,756.
$150 Million Cash Explosion launched in October with four $4 million prizes, six $1 million prizes, and 10 $100,000 prizes. Three $4 million prizes, five $1 million prizes, and eight $100,000 prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like $150 Million Cash Explosion make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how $9.6 million in lottery funds made a difference in Davidson County this year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.