Michael Mawhorter of Taylorsville has been playing the lottery since he moved to North Carolina, and on Wednesday, his commitment paid off to the tune of a $230,724 Cash 5 jackpot win.

Mawhorter, a machine operator at a paper mill, bought a few Cash 5 tickets on his way to work at the Market Basket on N.C. 16 South in Taylorsville. He played his favorite numbers on a few of the tickets and “added a couple of Quick Pick tickets”, too.

One of those Quick Pick tickets beat odds of 1 in 962,598 to match all five white balls and won Mawhorter the $230,724 jackpot in Wednesday’s drawing.

“I work the night shift, so I was at work when I found out,” said Mawhorter. “I walked to my car for my break, checked the numbers and there they were. I was shaking, I just couldn’t stop shaking.”

He shared the news of his good fortune with his wife and “she couldn’t believe it,” he recalled.

Mawhorter claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday. After federal and state taxes, he took home $163,241.

“I never thought I’d actually hit it to be honest,” Mawhorter said. “It definitely helps out.” He plans to get caught up on his bills, and “put a little away for a vacation and then for retirement.”

Cash 5 is a statewide draw game that gives players the chance to win a jackpot every single night. Tickets cost $1 and players can buy tickets at most lottery retailers or through Online Play on the lottery’s website or the N.C. Lottery Official Mobile app.

Friday’s Cash 5 jackpot is $110,000.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million per year for education. For details on how $1.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Alexander County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.