Woman uses grandchildren’s birthdays to win $569,347 jackpot

A Pitt County woman used the dates of her grandchildren’s birthdays to win a $569,347 jackpot from the N.C. Education Lottery’s Cash 5 game, the lottery reported Monday.

Claudette Cox of Winterville told lottery officials that a family vacation inspired her to play their birthdates.

“We had just gone on vacation together as a family and had such a great time, so I just decided to use their birthdays for my numbers,” she said.

The lottery said Cox bought her $1 ticket from the Harris Teeter on East Fire Tower Road in Greenville. She watched the Cash 5 drawing live to see if she won, it said.

“I started to run around the house,” she told lottery officials. “I was like pinching myself because I couldn’t believe it was really happening to me.”

Cox claimed her prize at lottery headquarters Monday in Raleigh and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $407,084.

She told lottery officials she has not decided how to spend the winnings aside from putting some in the bank.

Cash 5 is one of six games in North Carolina where players can buy tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

Visit www.nclottery.com for more information.