Lucky for Life winner left jackpot winning ticket unchecked for nearly 1 week

WENDELL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Wake County man is dancing his way to the bank after matching all five balls in the Lucky for Life drawing.

Kenneth Kiriazes of Zebulon bought a $2 quick pick ticket from the Swift Mart in Wendell for the Aug. 23 drawing.

Like everyone, he knew his odds of winning were slim. In fact, he didn't even check the winning numbers immediately. The ticket sat in his truck for nearly a week.

Finally, he got around to checking the numbers and he was absolutely stunned to learn he won the jackpot.

"I did that happy dance," Kiriazes said. "Something like this is a blessing."

Kiriazes had the option of taking $25,000 a year for the rest of his life or a $390,000 lump sum. He took the lump sum and took home a total of $276,990 after taxes.

Kiriazes loves to fish; he said he planned to use the money to go on a fishing trip to Key West. He also hopes to put a new deck on his house.