A “typical” morning took a turn when Patrick Daniels learned he won a large lottery prize, officials said.
N.C. Education Lottery
A Western North Carolina man went to bed with a lucky feeling — and discovered a big lottery win the next morning.
“I was dumbfounded,” 61-year-old winner Patrick Daniels told the N.C. Education Lottery.
Now, Daniels plans to use some of the $100,000 prize to spoil his family.
“They are going to have a nice Christmas, that’s for sure,” Daniels said in a Dec. 9 news release.
Officials said Daniels made his big holiday plans after stopping at the Tryon Food Store in Tryon, roughly 45 miles southeast of Asheville and known as the hometown of music legend Nina Simone. While at the store, Daniels tried his luck on a $1 ticket for the Cash 5 game, officials said.
Then, on the night of the Dec. 7 drawing, he said he shared a prediction with his wife.
“I told her, ‘Tonight I’m going to win the lottery,’” Daniels said in the news release.
The next day had a “typical start,” as Daniels made coffee and prepared kids’ lunches. But then he checked his lottery ticket and learned he hit the jackpot.
“I showed my wife so she could confirm it,” he told lottery officials.
It turns out, Daniels’ win was the real deal, and his lottery ticket matched enough numbers in the drawing to be worth $100,000. Daniels, a Polk County resident, kept $71,014 after taxes.
In addition to spending his prize money on Christmas gifts, Daniels plans to save some of his winnings, officials said.
It’s not the first time a North Carolina lottery player won big just in time for the holiday season.
Last year, a dad said he had just finished buying Christmas gifts when he found out he was getting much richer. And another lottery winner planned to pay for his family’s holiday dinner after scoring a big prize, McClatchy News reported.
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