A typical mid-week grocery run turned into a $700,000 top prize for Linda Virgil of Raeford.
Virgil made a trip to the Food Lion on Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville for some groceries when she decided to try her luck on a Triple 7 ticket.
She scratched and scanned her ticket to check for prizes. A friendly employee at the grocery store confirmed her big win.
“I just started crying,” said Virgil.
The $10 game launched in December with four top prizes of $700,000. Only one of those top prizes remains to be won.
Virgil claimed her prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $498,753.
When asked what she’d do with her prize she said, “I’m going to share it with my kids and grandchildren.”
Virgil also plans to return to that Food Lion to thank the employee who helped her in her moment of joy.
The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program educates and empowers North Carolinians to make smart decisions when they play the lottery. Visit nclottery.com/PlaySmart to learn how the Play Smart program helps someone create a game plan to keep lottery play fun. If playing the lottery has become more than a game, visit morethanagame.nc.gov/ for free, confidential help.