Loretta Jones of Maxton has always dreamed of going to Hawaii and now she can after winning a $2 million scratch-off prize.

“My dream vacation has always been Hawaii,” she said. “I want to take that trip now.”

Jones bought her lucky $20 $100 Million Mega Cash ticket from Short Stop Mart on West Dr. MLK Jr. Drive in Maxton.

“I saw the dollar sign and thought, ‘Oh I won my $20 back,’” she recalled. “Then I looked at it again and I started screaming.”

Jones said she could barely control herself after she saw how much she won.

“I fell to the floor,” she laughed. “I had to ask my daughter if it was real.”

When Jones arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to collect her prize, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $100,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.2 million. She chose the lump-sum amount of $1.2 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $855,006.

“You never think something like this will happen to you,” Jones said. “I’m still in disbelief.”

She said in addition to her trip to Hawaii she will use her winnings to pay some bills.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.8 million a day on average for education. The state provided $50 million in grants, using money raised by the lottery, to help Robeson County build a new career and technology high school. For details on other ways Robeson County benefits from lottery funds, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.