Christmas shopping was done — but dad may spoil family after $1 million NC lottery win
A North Carolina dad was done with his Christmas shopping — then discovered he was getting much richer.
Rodney Freeman checked his lottery ticket and found out it was worth $1 million, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.
“It’s important to take care of life’s biggest blessings: family,” Freeman said in a Dec. 21 news release. “I’ve always worked to take care of my wife and four kids. This win, it’s a true blessing.”
Freeman hit the jackpot after a lucky trip to the Hammond’s BP gas station in Asheboro, roughly 70 miles west of Raleigh. While at the business, officials said he spent $10 to play the new Big Cash Payout game.
Freeman was with his wife when he scratched off his ticket, revealing the game’s first $1 million prize, the N.C. Education Lottery said.
“We both started crying,” the husband told lottery officials. “It didn’t seem real.”
The prize was real, and it left the couple speechless. Freeman had just bought Christmas gifts before the big win but said he “might have to get a little something extra now” to spoil his loved ones.
Freeman, who works for the N.C. Department of Transportation, decided to take his prize in a lump sum and kept $424,503 after taxes, according to officials.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Christmas shopping was done — but dad may spoil family after $1 million NC lottery win."
