Bryan Caves of Willow Spring called his wife immediately to tell her the good news after his Cash 5 ticket delivered them a $120,000 jackpot.

“She couldn’t believe it so she drove to the store to double-check it,” he laughed.

Caves said he only bought the Cash 5 ticket because he was hoping to win a prize in the November Bonus Cash promotion.

“I really just got it hoping to win one of the $500 prizes,” he said.

Caves bought his lucky $1 ticket from Logan’s Safeway Mini Mart on N.C. 210 in Four Oaks where he is the owner and bought the ticket from one of his cashiers. His ticket matched all five numbers to win the jackpot in the Nov. 16 drawing. The odds of matching numbers on all five balls are 1 in 962,598.

“I was ecstatic,” Caves recalled. “Just surprised and elated.”

He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters Tuesday in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $85,501.

Caves said he plans to do some home repairs and pay off part of his mortgage.

Cash 5 is one of six lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

During the holiday season, Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out this blog to learn more.