CONCORD, N.C. — Erik Jonson of Concord tried his luck on a Carolina Panthers scratch-off ticket and found himself the lucky winner of a $200,000 top prize.
Jonson, a mail carrier for 22 years, stopped at the Carolina Fast Mart on U.S. 601 in Concord on Sunday and bought a single $5 Carolina Panthers tickets along with a few other scratch-offs.
Once back at home, he scratched off his ticket. โI went outside on the patio and I scratched it off,โ recalled Jonson. โI was like, โOh my goodness!โ It was just a blessing.โ
Jonson claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $141,501.
โItโs gonna be a good anniversary for me and my wife,โ said Jonson. โItโll be our 14th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. This is a great gift for us.โ
With the prize money, Jonson plans to โget some trust funds togetherโ for each of the coupleโs four children and use the rest to pay bills.
Carolina Panthers launched this month with four top prizes of $200,000. Two top prizes remain to be won.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how $14.5 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Cabarrus County in 2019, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the โImpactโ section.
