HICKORY, NC — Brooke Blanton was just going for groceries when she went to town Wednesday night, but she came home a $1 million dollar lottery winner.
“I was planning to get some fast food,” Blanton said. “But then I decided to go get a lottery ticket. There’s really no rhyme or reason to why I did.”
Blanton, a bank teller, purchased the $10,000,000 Colossal Cash ticket during her trip to the C&S Mart on Old Shelby Road. When she got back in her car and started scratching, she knew she was a winner.
“The first thing I scratched was a money sign,” Blanton said. “So I knew I won something.”
While sitting in the parking lot, Blanton continued to scratch her way to a $1 million prize.
“My heart dropped into my stomach and I started shaking,” Blanton said. “I was so excited I completely forgot about getting something to eat. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I kept the ticket in my pocket-book by my pillow the whole night.”
Blanton chose to take her winnings as a lump sum of $600,000 when she cashed in the ticket at lottery headquarters in Raleigh Thursday. After taxes, officials say Blanton took home a little over $423,000.
Officials say Blanton could have also chosen to take her winnings as an annuity that would have paid $50,000 a year for 20 years.
“I don’t want anything too fancy,” Blanton said. “Just something small with some land. I still can’t believe I won. This is life changing.”
If you are thinking about playing a $10,000,000 Colossal Cash ticket, officials say all four top prizes of $4 million and 14 out of the 16 $1 million prizes still remain. Tickets are $30 to play.
