Johnny Sanders of Zionville took a chance on a $5 Holiday Cheer scratch-off ticket and won a $150,000 prize the day before Thanksgiving.
Sanders purchased his ticket at the Valley Grocery on U.S. 421 North in Zionville. He claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and, after federal and state tax withholdings, took home $106,126.
Holiday Cheer launched in November with four $150,000 top prizes. Two $150,000 top prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education. For details on how money raised by the lottery made a difference in Watauga County in 2020, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.