Impeccable timing for an expecting parent
By Kate Northrop
HICKORY, N.C. — The timing for a $1 million prize from scratch-off lottery game couldn't be better for a North Carolina man who is expecting his first child in February.
Clayton Cook, of Hickory, was on his way to his grandmother's house for dinner last Monday and stopped for gas at Advent Grocery on Old Shelby Road in Hickory. While there, he decided to try his luck with some instant lottery games.
He waited until he got to his grandmother's house before he got down to scratching off his tickets. Things weren't looking so good until he got to his final ticket, a $10,000,000 Colossal Cash he bought for $30. At that moment, his grandmother walked into the room.
"I was on the second line of the last ticket and I kept on scratching," Cook recalled. "There was just about a minute of silence, and about that time I looked right at her and I said, 'Grandma, I just won $1 million!'"
"Oh my Lord!" she exclaimed, giving her grandson a big hug.
Cook visited Lottery headquarters at Raleigh on Thursday to claim his prize. He opted for taking a lump sum of $600,000 over an annuity of 20 payments of $50,000 a year and received $424,509 after federal and state tax withholdings.
"It's indescribable really," Cook told the North Carolina Education Lottery.
The expecting father plans on using the prize money to help prepare for the baby due to arrive in February and is also considering delving into a new business venture.
"I've been wanting to start a business with my brother," Cook remarked. "So that might be one of the things that I invest in."
As of now, there are three $1 million prizes remaining in the $10,000,000 Colossal Cash game out of the original 16 since the game was launched in August 2018. Only one top prize of $10,000,000 is left to be claimed.
Right place at the right time.
More like 30 dollars and a dream in this case!
Sweet, real nice. A new baby & a million dollars.
Why is it NY State lottery are refusing to pay the true value on a scratch off ticket that they made a mistake with on their printing , Real sad! Because the ticket was torn when it came out of the vending machine .?
Good for him...he sounds like someone who won't squander it!
Oh and I'm claiming one of the last 3 winning cards here in NC!🤩
But then again it says this in the article too!
"Only one top prize of $10,000,000 is left to be claimed".
It would be great to get it too!...you have to think positive!
Well actually he got this...$424,509 after federal and state tax withholdings.
But I'm sure he's happy as can be with what he got after taxes.
ICAM. yep.
truth.
I wish there would be some big winner's where i am, even if i am lucky regularly at P4 games.
It would be nice to read a neighbor or in my area of NC won. But, congrats in Hickory,NC Invest $ so it'll last.
G-morning, afternoon V-girl!
I see. So, ok. . . Not really a million lol Yea.
I know my dad at times would say this about P-BALL and MEGA etc.,
i forgot, the same applies to scratch-offs.Not a million at all.
Congrats on though almost 1/2 of mill $$$ btw,
good luck with your p3 and pick 4 and scratch offs rest of the week, and beyond."
Bye for now.
Double congrats to the lucky guy.
l hear you, but it sounds so much better saying he " won a million dollars" than he won $425,000. Some of things l like to be low are cholesterol & Blood pressure- just about everything else, l want high. Vergie6
Maybe winoneday will do just that in North Carolina!