A couple in North Carolina celebrated their wedding anniversary with more than just memories this year — they also scored a nearly $100,000 lottery win.
Jeffrey Douglas of Cherryville, N.C., purchased the lucky scratch-off ticket at Times Turn Around on East Main Street in Lincolnton on Sunday, Aug. 17, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
The timing of the win made the day extra meaningful, as it happened to be Douglas and his wife’s 31st wedding anniversary.
To share the good news, Douglas said he snapped a photo of the winning ticket and texted it to his wife. Her response? Simply: “Call me,” he recalled with a laugh.
By Tuesday, Aug. 19, the couple had received $71,764 after taxes. “It was pretty awesome,” Douglas said. “It’s a blessing.”
Douglas added that the winnings will help both his family and his tree-cutting business, joking, “Do you know how many trees you have to cut to win this much money?”
The winning ticket came from the $10 Million Spectacular, a scratch-off game launched in December 2023 that offers limited $10 million grand prizes, as well as chances at $1 million and $100,000. Lottery officials confirmed that one $10 million ticket is still out there waiting to be claimed.
Other players across the country have recently celebrated major wins as well. In Texas, a woman finally received her $83.5 million jackpot after nearly six months of waiting. Another winner in Virginia landed a $2 million prize when a clerk accidentally sold her the wrong ticket.
Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania grandmother of 10 — and breast cancer survivor — claimed a record-setting $2 million prize from the state’s MONOPOLY Progressive Jackpots. Meanwhile, a Virginia player hit a $348 million Mega Millions jackpot, opting for a one-time payout of $155.6 million.
And in Michigan, a man who first won $300 on a ticket reinvested part of it into another — which paid out an impressive $714,891.
