A North Carolina man whose wife described him as the "luckiest person" she knows has scored a huge prize in the state lottery and already has big plans for his winnings.
Donald Cardwell, of Kernersville, had some time to kill before picking up his wife from the airport on Sunday (May 5) so he stopped by Tony's Food Mart on Edgefield Road in Greensboro where he purchased a $20 Big Cash Payout scratch-off ticket. He quickly learned that he was one of the lucky winners to score a $100,000 prize in the game that launched last July, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"Her flight was running late so I decided to stop and try my luck," he said. "It was awesome."
When he met up with his wife after her flight and told her the good news, she was also thrilled.
"She told me, 'You are the luckiest person I've ever seen,'" he said. "She's definitely excited."
Cardwell claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday (May 6), taking home a grand total of $71,506 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he already has a good idea on what to do with his winnings, along with paying some bills, and it involves traveling to somewhere sunny and tropical.
"We were planning to take a cruise to the Caribbean in the fall so I can use this win to help with that," he said. "I've never been on one before."