Lottery player wins big in NC, returns to store to hug clerk who sold her ticket
An unusual display of pure gratitude played out in a North Carolina convenience store when a woman walked in and asked to hug one of the clerks.
Cassandra Stephens of Cornelius says she couldn't help herself after discovering the store employee had sold her a jackpot-winning ticket in the N.C. Education Lottery.
It happened at Cashion's Quik Stop on Statesville Road in Cornelius, and the 50X The Cash ticket was worth $339,703, lottery officials said in a June 10 news release.
'I went back in the store and hugged the lady who sold it to me,' Stephens told lottery officials. 'I think I'm still processing that I won that much.'
Details of how the clerk reacted weren't released.
That hug came after Stephens told her husband, who was in disbelief. 'He thought I was lying,' she said in the release.
That response was justified, given the odds of winning a jackpot in the game are 1 in 320,000.
Stephens says she bought the $10 fast play ticket June 9 after getting 'a good feeling.' The game has a progressive jackpot that keeps growing until someone wins.
'I listened to that little voice in my head telling me to get that ticket,' Stephens said in the release.
She went to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to get her prize, which came to $243,740 after taxes, lottery officials said.
Her plan is to use the money to pay bills — and go on a cruise.
Cornelius is about a 20-mile drive north from Charlotte.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Powerball ticket worth $250,000 is sold in North Carolina. Here's where
A Powerball player just missed the jackpot — but still scored a huge prize in North Carolina. The player bought a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the June 16 drawing. Since the person spent an extra dollar on the Power Play option, their $50,000 prize rose to $250,000, the N.C. Education Lottery wrote on its website and on X, formerly known as Twitter. The winning numbers: white balls 17-21-23-27-52, with red Powerball 19. So, where was the lucky ticket sold? It came from the Food Lion grocery store in Dunn, a roughly 40-mile drive south from Raleigh, a lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News via email. The player won big after their $3 ticket matched four white balls and the red ball. The 5X multiplier also was drawn, which increased the prize amount for people who opted for Power Play. While the Dunn player has a lot to celebrate, their ticket was was one number from scoring the jackpot prize. No one hit the jackpot, which stood at an estimated $90 million the night of the drawing, according to the Powerball website. Officials shared news of the win early June 17, before the lucky ticket holder would have been able to claim their prize. In North Carolina, Powerball winners have about six months to cash in, rules show. What to know about Powerball To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338. Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state. Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Lottery player wins big in NC, returns to store to hug clerk who sold her ticket
An unusual display of pure gratitude played out in a North Carolina convenience store when a woman walked in and asked to hug one of the clerks. Cassandra Stephens of Cornelius says she couldn't help herself after discovering the store employee had sold her a jackpot-winning ticket in the N.C. Education Lottery. It happened at Cashion's Quik Stop on Statesville Road in Cornelius, and the 50X The Cash ticket was worth $339,703, lottery officials said in a June 10 news release. 'I went back in the store and hugged the lady who sold it to me,' Stephens told lottery officials. 'I think I'm still processing that I won that much.' Details of how the clerk reacted weren't released. That hug came after Stephens told her husband, who was in disbelief. 'He thought I was lying,' she said in the release. That response was justified, given the odds of winning a jackpot in the game are 1 in 320,000. Stephens says she bought the $10 fast play ticket June 9 after getting 'a good feeling.' The game has a progressive jackpot that keeps growing until someone wins. 'I listened to that little voice in my head telling me to get that ticket,' Stephens said in the release. She went to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to get her prize, which came to $243,740 after taxes, lottery officials said. Her plan is to use the money to pay bills — and go on a cruise. Cornelius is about a 20-mile drive north from Charlotte.
Miami Herald
04-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Lottery player's plan for nap is ruined by ‘jolt of excitement' from jackpot win
A North Carolina woman was ready to get rest when a 'jolt of excitement' ruined her plans. Samantha Spencer was shocked when she learned she won $158,426 in the N.C. Education Lottery. 'I was about to lay down for a nap but that made me jump up real quick,' she told lottery officials in a June 3 news release. Spencer hit the jackpot after she tried her luck on The Lamp: Dark Arts. She was drawn to the online game because of its appearance. 'My favorite color is green and the wheel in the game is green,' Spencer said. The Lamp: Dark Arts is a progressive jackpot game that features a prize wheel and digital icons players can match to win big. Spencer, who beat odds of 1 in 32 million, spent $1 on her ticket and scored the second-tier jackpot prize. 'I was pretty surprised,' said Spencer, who kept $113,671 after taxes. 'I didn't expect that.' The lucky winner is from Conover, in Catawba County and a roughly 45-mile drive northwest from Charlotte. She hopes to put her prize money toward bills and donate to cat rescue organizations. It's not the first time a huge prize made someone wake up. Another North Carolina lottery player was drinking his morning coffee when he realized his ticket was going to make him richer, McClatchy News reported in October.
