Rashanta Cunningham of Greensboro woke up around midnight on Thursday to an email letting her know she had won that night’s $387,726 Cash 5 jackpot.

Cunningham, a catering coordinator for Sodexo at N.C. A&T, purchased her lucky Quick Pick ticket using Online Play through the lottery’s website on the night of the drawing. That meant notification of her win came automatically to her.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t go back to sleep,” recalled Cunningham. “I remembered to check my email and it said I had won, but it didn’t say the amount. So, I thought they sent it by accident.”

She then went to the lottery’s website and realized it was no accident. She was a winner!

“I felt like I was dreaming,” said Cunningham. She immediately shared the news of her good fortune with her son, who was in the next room, and made a call to her parents.

Cunningham claimed her prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $274,318.

“I just want to put something away for each of my three grandchildren,” said Cunningham of her plans for her prize money. With the rest, she plans to “save it and invest.”

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, through Online Play on the lottery’s website, or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile app.

Tuesday’s Cash 5 jackpot is $100,000.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million per year for education. For details on how $31.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Guilford County in 2019, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.