ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — An Alamance County man turned a $50 scratch-off ticket into a life-altering lottery prize.
James Vandling, of Mebane, says he stopped at the Hawfield General Store on South NC 119 in Mebane for no reason other than to get his nephew some Gatorade.
Initially, Vandling bought a $10 Million Spectacular scratch-off ticket and won $500. So, he decided to try his luck again.
“Go big or go home,” Vandling said with a smile.
Vandling certainly went big as his bet paid off with a $1 million lottery prize.
“I kept telling people I was going to win big one day,” Vandling said.
Vandling also won’t be going home as he says he’s going to use his winning to take his family on the vacation of their dreams.
“I’m going to take my kids and grandkids to Disney World,” he said. “We’ve never done that before.”
Vandling came to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim his prize and had a choice between a lump sum of $600,000 or an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years.
He chose the annuity and will now receive a check of $50,000 a year every year until the full $1 million prize is paid. The first payment was processed on Friday and he walked away with $35,746 after taxes.
Where can I get the latest lottery numbers?
Watch lottery drawings on FOX8! Mega Millions airs at 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday. Powerball airs at 10:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The NC Lottery airs at 11:22 p.m. every night.
You can also find the lottery results online on the FOX8 website.
