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Figure These Odds... $10 Scratch Off + #2 = $750,000!
It was Valentine’s Day - a little after noontime. Dan Royal, a carpenter for Carson Contracting, had to go on a work assignment. On the way back to work, he decided to stop by The Little Cubbard Store on Route 64 in Ruth to buy a Lottery ticket. Dan had $30 in his pocket and picked a North Carolina Lottery $10 Jumbo Bucks Scratchoff ticket from bin #3. The clerk Marty was working that day and sold Dan the ticket. He left the store and went outside and got in his truck. He decided to scratch off that $10 Jumbo Bucks ticket he just bought.
The printed Jumbo Bucks ticket bragged that the it had over 1,300 prizes between $1,000 and $50,000! Across the top it said “Top Prize $750,000!” As Dan scratched off the 6 winning numbers, 17, 40, 9, 2, 28, 29, appeared. There were three rows of numbers below on the card. If any numbers on the three rows matched any of the 6 winning numbers, Dan would receive the money amount in that box.
He scratched off the first two rows and none matched. As he scratched off the third row, in the second box, #2 appeared with the winning amount of $750.000. Dan Royal stopped, did a double take, got out of his truck and went back into The Little Cubbard. He asked Brian Millwood, the manager, and Marcedia “Marty” Chatham, the clerk, if what he saw was correct and true. They both checked the ticket and told him he was right. Dan was stunned. He said: “I didn’t believe it at first.” By holding the ticket he just bought for $10 that had a winning #2 number and a #2 match in row three, he had just won $750,000 - a quarter million dollars! Unbelievable! Brian and Marty could hardly believe it too.
In order to get his winnings, Dan Royal had to go to Raleigh. He took off work and went on Wednesday. He spent an hour and 45 minutes being “processed” in Raleigh. Security escorted him to a back office where they asked him questions and then checked 15 different sources to see if he owned any money to government agencies. After being cleared, he was escorted to the public relations area where they took his picture with the check. He smiled holding the check that said “Pay To The Order Of Dan Royal - $750,000”. After taxes were deducted, Dan Royal received a check for $510,003.20! Dan said that the Raleigh Lottery people claim they give 2.8 million dollars away almost every day. On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, Dan Royal got a big part of it!
Other than paying some bills and buying a new truck, Dan is now looking at his options. He’s considering putting the money in an interest drawing account. He still goes to work every day and says he will continue to do so. “I’ve had my 15 minutes of fame”. Now he just wants to get back to his normal routine and workday.
As he does seven days a week, Dan Royal stops by The Little Cubbard every morning to get a cup of coffee. The Little Cubbard is probably the smallest little store in Rutherford County. In fact, it’s not small, it’s tiny! The store has been there on Route 64 for over 60 years. Marty said the store has “been buzzing all week.” People are coming from all over to buy a lottery ticket - especially Jumbo Bucks. The store can’t keep some tickets in stock. There are 13 empty bins which hold tickets. One lady drove all the way from Raleigh to buy a ticket from The Little Cubbard in Ruth, North Carolina. The tiny store now has the biggest bragging rights in Rutherford County. It’s home of the biggest Lottery winner in Rutherford County - Dan Royal - a carpenter that loves his work! Congratulations!
