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A retired teacher in North Carolina is celebrating a huge win after hitting the jackpot in the state lottery, thanks to the help of his children.
Louis Paine Jr., of Fletcher, recently tried his hand in the Cash 5 drawing, choosing to play with a special set of numbers to bring him extra luck: his children's birthdays. That boost of good fortune paid off when the ticket he purchased at the Hendersonville Road Ingles for the February 1 drawing proved to be a winner, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"I was flabbergasted," he said of his $110,000 jackpot win. "Of course I didn't believe it."
Paine claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday (February 9), bringing home a total of $78,122 after state and federal taxes. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he plans to invest some and use the rest for his family.
Clearly, the choice of using a meaningful set of numbers in such a big stake has paid off. Not only did Paine score big, but another North Carolina couple recently hit the jackpot by using their own sentimental numbers, the dates of their grandchildren's birthdays.