Juan Garcia of Durham needed quarters to do laundry, so he stopped at a convenience store, added a $5 scratch-off, and won a $250,000 prize.

“I was in disbelief,” Garcia said. “I kept seeing zeros.”

Garcia, a 22-year-old HVAC installer, said he has a six-month-old baby girl at home and he wants to put his winnings toward a house for his family.

“This is definitely a huge step toward our one-day dream home,” he said.

Garcia bought his lucky Mega Bucks Limited Edition ticket from the University Market on West Chapel Hill Street in Durham. He arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to collect his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $177,526.

Mega Bucks Limited Edition debuted this month with five $250,000 prizes. Two $250,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how $13.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Durham County in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.