CLAYTON – Colette Owens of Clayton said she’s dreamed for years of attending a Notre Dame football game and now that dream can come true after winning a $147,894 Cash 5 jackpot.
“It’s one of those things on the bucket list we’ve always wanted to do,” Owens said.
Owens bought the $1 Quick Pick Cash 5 ticket in Friday’s drawing using Online Play on the lottery’s website. She woke up early Saturday morning around 2:30 a.m. and checked her email on her phone.
“I just looked at it and looked at it,” she recalled. “I was shocked.”
She then ran into her bedroom to wake up her husband.
“He’s like, ‘What’s wrong, what’s wrong,’” Owens laughed. “He had to get his glasses so he could see the screen.”
Owens said they didn’t sleep much for the rest of the night.
She arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to collect her prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $105,375.
She said in addition to the Notre Dame game they will use the money to pay some bills and pay off a golf cart purchase.
Cash 5 is one of six lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets through a retail location or with Online Play. The odds of winning a Cash 5 jackpot are 1 in 962,598.
Ticket sales from draw games such as Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day on average for education.
