Heather Malo of Charlotte said she had an exciting Saturday morning after her $1 Cash 5 ticket turned into a $388,927 win.

“When I saw how much it was, I might have screamed a little bit,” Malo laughed.

Malo said the first sign of her win occurred when she saw a notification email that “looked a little different than usual.” After she realized she hit the jackpot, she said she hugged and kissed her husband.

“It was definitely an exciting morning,” she said.

Malo, 48, bought her Quick Pick ticket for last Friday’s drawing using Online Play on the lottery’s website, her preferred way to play.

“It’s far more convenient for me to buy tickets online,” Malo said.

She arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to collect her prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $276,177.

Malo said she will take her time deciding what to do with her winnings, but she would like to take a family vacation with her husband and children.

Cash 5 is one of four lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets through a retail location or Online Play, either through the lottery’s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Cash 5 tickets are $1 and drawings are held every night. Friday’s jackpot is $306,000.

Ticket sales from lottery games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day for education. For details on how $62.6 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Mecklenburg County in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.