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

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

“Tonight, as soon as I get back, we’re gonna go to the grocery store and we’re gonna buy Thanksgiving dinners,” said Bailey of their first plans for their prize money. “At least 10 or 20 turkeys and we’re gonna put everything together in a box and we’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.”

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

The next morning, he went to the lottery’s website to check the winning numbers and recognized his own. “I turned my computer around to my wife and showed her and she kind of looked and then she screamed!”

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

“It feels really good knowing that we can help some people,” said Bailey. “Just to be here today is a blessing.”

“We’ll have some money for the end of the year, for Christmas and helping family and church,” said Hazel Bailey. “We’re really excited and happy.” The remaining prize money will go into “savings and helping grandkids with college,” she said.

Carolina Cash 5 tickets are $1 and drawings are held every night. Wednesday’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 lottery’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 Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.