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A man in North Carolina is still in shock after scoring a lottery win so big he had to "slap" himself to make sure he was awake.
Rickey Gunthrope, of Salisbury, purchased a Cash 5 lottery ticket from the Food Lion on North Salisbury Avenue in Spencer ahead of Sunday's (October 22) drawing, using his go-to pick of numbers in the hopes of winning big, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"I have always played that same combination of numbers," he said. "I told myself that one day it would come for me."
And it finally did! When he checked his ticket early Monday (October 23) morning, he discovered he matched all five numbers to win the $200,260 jackpot. Even then, he had a hard time believing he actually won.
"When I saw my numbers, I just started slapping myself because I couldn't believe my eyes," he said, laughing, "I was like, 'Am I awake?'"
Gunthrope claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday, taking home a grand total of $142,686 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he plans to use some of his prize to help get his nephew a new car.
"My nephew's car broke down. I said, 'If I win any money, I will buy you a car,'" he said. "I called him this morning and told him to go shopping."
The new car isn't Gunthrope's only plans for his new winnings. He also hopes to use some of the funds to do home repairs on the house he recently purchased.