Union County Couple To Use $167,849 Cash 5 Jackpot For Thanksgiving Meals

WEDDINGTON, N.C. (News Release) โ€“ When William Bailey of Weddington and his wife, Hazel, learned they won Sundayโ€™s $167,849 Cash 5 jackpot, they decided to use some of their prize money to give Thanksgiving dinners to families in need.

โ€œTonight, as soon as I get back, weโ€™re gonna go to the grocery store and weโ€™re gonna buy Thanksgiving dinners,โ€ said Bailey of their first plans for their prize money. โ€œAt least 10 or 20 turkeys and weโ€™re gonna put everything together in a box and weโ€™re gonna find people to give them to that need it. I want my grandboys to do it because I want them to know what it feels like to help somebody.โ€

On Sunday night, Bailey purchased his winning ticket using Online Play through the lotteryโ€™s website using a combination of his own numbers for that nightโ€™s drawing.

The next morning, he went to the lotteryโ€™s website to check the winning numbers and recognized his own. โ€œI turned my computer around to my wife and showed her and she kind of looked and then she screamed!โ€

The couple claimed their prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, they took home $118,755.

โ€œIt feels really good knowing that we can help some people,โ€ said Bailey. โ€œJust to be here today is a blessing.โ€

โ€œWeโ€™ll have some money for the end of the year, for Christmas and helping family and church,โ€ said Hazel Bailey. โ€œWeโ€™re really excited and happy.โ€ The remaining prize money will go into โ€œsavings and helping grandkids with college,โ€ she said.

 

Carolina Cash 5 tickets are $1 and drawings are held every night. Wednesdayโ€™s jackpot is $120,000.

Cash 5 is one of four lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets through Online Play either through the lotteryโ€™s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have helped all of North Carolinaโ€™s 100 counties, click on the โ€œImpactโ€ section of the lotteryโ€™s website.