After Rosa Fiame, of Jacksonville, got the phone call of a lifetime telling her she just won $500,000 in a second-chance drawing, the news left her in a daze.
“I was walking around like a zombie,” she said.
Her family was also excited when they learned she won the lottery.
“They were screaming and celebrating and laughing,” she said. “I was crying.”
Fiame won the big prize in the $10 Million Spectacular Second Chance drawing on Dec. 3, which had more than 1.2 million entries, said Jonathan LaRowe, with the N.C. Education Lottery.
Players got a second chance with their scratch-offs by scanning them into their lottery accounts, where they were automatically entered into the drawing. In addition to the $500,000 prize, the drawing had one top prize of $1 million and 10 people who won $50,000 each.
Fiame said she donates money to 21 different charities around the holidays each year, and this year, she plans to use her winnings to double all of her donations.
“It’s emotional,” she said. “I never think I am going to win that much money in my life.”
Fiame arrived at lottery headquarters Tuesday to collect her prize, and after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $358,750.
“I couldn’t sleep for days,” she said. “I was so happy.”
Education programs in Onslow County received $12.5 million in support from lottery funds last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the impact section.