NC Woman Leaves Work In Tears After Hitting $4M Lottery Jackpot

Feb. 2—A North Carolina woman called her family in tears after scratching off a lottery ticket at work that hit a $4 million jackpot, state lottery officials said.

Cheryl Ratliff of Wingate won the last of three top $10,000 Loaded prizes, thereby ending the popular game that launched in October 2019, officials said.

She beat odds of 1 in 3.07 million, according to the lottery website.

"I got to work and I scratched it off and my eyes went completely cuckoo," Ratliff said with a laugh when she claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday, according to a lottery news release. "I thought I was seeing things."

"I literally went outside and called my husband, called my kids," Ratliff said. "I was crying, I didn't believe I won that much money."

Ratliff bought her winning $20 ticket at Claws on North Charlotte Avenue in Monroe, officials said. She did not disclose to lottery officials where she works.

Ratliff had a choice of an annuity of $200,000 a year over 20 years and a $2.4 million lump sum. She chose the annuity and left lottery headquarters with her first payment of $141,506, after taxes.

"It's a blessing to see that dream come true that one day you'd hit it like that," Ratliff said. "I can see my kids having more things in life and helping them through college."

Charlotte man's $1 ticket hits jackpot

On the heels of Ratliff's jackpot, lottery officials on Tuesday reported another big local winner.

Alvin Livingston of Charlotte bought a $1 Carolina Cash 5 ticket at a QuikTrip on Central Avenue and scored a $696,227 jackpot, officials said Tuesday.

He beat odds of 1 in 962,598, according to the lottery.

Livingston bought the winning Quick Pick ticket for last Thursday's drawing and claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday, according to a lottery news release. After taxes, he netted $492,581, officials said.

Tuesday's jackpot in the nightly Carolina Cash 5 drawing stands at $129,000.

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