NEED TO KNOW
- A grandma in North Carolina won a prize worth over $530,000 last year
- “I won it two days before my birthday,” Janet Murray said
- Now she plans to “give some to my children and open an education fund for my great-grandchildren”
A North Carolina grandma got quite the surprise just days before her birthday: striking lottery gold!
Janet Murray of Fayetteville won a $534,619 prize playing a $1 Cash 5 ticket that she bought in time for the Dec. 9 drawing, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a news release on Monday, Jan. 5
“I won it two days before my birthday,” said Murray.
However, according to lottery officials, Murray kept the good news to herself for a minute, waiting until Christmas to tell her “special people” about her big win.
“They were all excited,” she added.
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Officials said the woman claimed her prize on Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
As for the odds of such a prize? Just 1 in 962,598.
NC Lottery
After required federal and state tax withholdings, Murray took home $384,979.
Opening up about her plans for her windfall, the family matriarch told officials that she intended to “give some to my children” — and open an education fund for her great-grandchildren.
Of course, she isn’t the only recent winner looking to give back to their family after a major lottery win.
In November, a woman — who chose not to reveal her actual name and instead used the pseudonym “Happy Grandma” — won a $3 million prize and told Illinois officials that she planned to “share a portion of her money to help support her son, and I’m already planning for home improvements, holiday gifts, and a cruise for the grandkids.”
“It’s like a miracle,” she shared after switching up her gas station lottery routine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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