Morrisville woman stops for groceries, wins $25,000 a year for life
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- It was a regular trip to the grocery store for Cheryl Blanchette of Morrisville -- that is until she stopped to play the lottery.
She was at the Lowe's Food on Brier Creek Parkway in Raleigh when she bought a $2 Lucky For Life ticket for Thursday's drawing.
She checked the ticket early Friday morning.
"I scanned the ticket using the lottery app," Blanchette said. "It told me I had a winning ticket, but of course you never think you won one of the top prizes. I checked the numbers myself and was in shock. I was like, 'What is this? I think I just won.' This is just amazing!"
She says the money will help her pay off her student loans.
"This is truly life-changing," said Blanchette, who just graduated with her master's degree in communications. "I never planned to go back to school, but a few years ago I felt it was time for a career change. Now that I have this, it's going to wipe the slate clean. To know that I can be debt free. I feel so grateful and blessed."
She beat odds of one in 1.8 million.
Winners are guaranteed $25,000 a year for life, but have the option of taking a lump sum of $390,000. Blanchette chose the lump sum option. After federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $275,925.
