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A North Carolina woman's dream will come true thanks to a massive win in the state lottery that will allow her to finally own her own home.
Linda McCain, of Maxton, is no stranger to playing the lottery, but a recent Cash 5 ticket she purchased led to an "awesome" $756,362 win. According to a release from the NC Education Lottery, she picked up the ticket from Short Stop Mart on West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and ended up checking it late at night after the August 18 drawing.
At first, she thought her eyes may have been playing tricks on her so she went to the kitchen so see it in better lighting. However, it was no trick — she really did hit the jackpot.
"When I realized it, I just started hollering. I was feeling so good I couldn't even go back to sleep," she said, adding, "I was pinching everybody to make sure it was real. My sister told me, 'You deserve it.'"
What makes the win even more special is the winning numbers. She's been using the same numbers for several weeks after another Cash 5 ticket she purchased included a set of numbers that were all significant to her.
"I guess it was my time," she said.
McCain claimed her prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (August 26), taking home a total of $537,093 after required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what she plans to do with her prize, she told lottery officials she can achieve something she has been dreaming about for a long time.
"I can finally get my dream home," she said, "Now I can have something I can call my own."