A trip to collect a prize and a last-minute purchase paid off for Derek Smith of Winston-Salem to the tune of $200,000.

Smith initially stopped at the Harris Teeter on North Peacehaven Road in Winston-Salem to cash in a winning $50 ticket.

Remembering he had an extra $5 in his pocket, Smith decided to take a chance on a “7” scratch-off.

Back at home, he was eating breakfast when he scratched his new ticket.

“I hadn’t revealed any amount of money, yet,” said Smith. “When I scratched it, it said ‘7’. And I revealed the money and was like, ‘Woah, this is crazy!’ My wife was vacuuming, and I said to her, ‘Turn that thing off and don’t cry.’”

Smith’s wife couldn’t believe their good fortune.

“We were very excited,” she recalled. “High-fiving, dancing. We really couldn’t believe it. It’s just an incredible blessing.”

Smith claimed his prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and took home $141,501 after required federal and state tax withholdings.

“We’re gonna put the bulk of it towards our mortgage,” he said. “And the rest, we’re just gonna have some fun with it. Give a little bit to our kids and grandkids.”

The “7” game launched in May with six top prizes of $200,000. One top prize remains to be won.

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 $21 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Forsyth County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.