Timothy Marshall of Raleigh plans to help take care of his family after a $5 scratch-off purchase delivered a $200,000 top prize.
“I want to put a smile on their faces,” he said. “I know they’d do the same for me.”
Marshall purchased his lucky Mega Bucks ticket from the Sheetz on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh.
“I gave a fist bump to the guy at the counter when I first went in,” he recalled. “I know them because I go in that store all the time.”
Marshall said he also wants to share his winnings with the workers in the store.
“I will go back there and give them something too,” he said.
Marshall said he initially had trouble believing his big win when it happened.
“I started looking around to make sure nobody was pranking me,” he laughed. “I was shaking.”
He collected his prize at lottery headquarters Monday and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $143,001.
“My mom always said something like this would happen to me,” he said. “It’s just unreal.”
In addition to sharing his winnings with his family, Marshall plans to pay some bills and put the rest in savings.
Mega Bucks debuted in June with eight $200,000 top prizes. One $200,000 prize remains to be claimed.
For details on how $63.5 million raised by the lottery made a difference for Wake County education programs last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.