A couple who lost their home to Hurricane Irma in the U.S. Virgin Islands say they will be able to rebuild their lives after winning a $325,000 prize on a $1 North Carolina lottery ticket.
After the hurricane devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands on Sept. 6, 2017, Patricia and Frank Raffa moved in with their daughter in Arden, North Carolina. The category 5 hurricane was "one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century," CNBC reported.
"We lost everything," Frank Raffa told NC lottery officials after the couple claimed their prize at N.C. Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday.
The couple bought the $1 Cash 5 ticket at the Energy Mart store on Long Shoals Road in Arden last Wednesday, according to a NC Education Lottery news release. After tax withholdings, they took home $229,131.
"We always use our own numbers," Patricia Raffa told lottery officials, according to the news release. "The first numbers were my birthday, 3 and 17. I was born on St. Patrick's Day. The luck of the Irish!"
At first, the couple didn't realize they'd won when they checked the numbers over coffee on Thursday morning.
"The first thing I saw was that someone hit the jackpot," Frank Raffa told lottery officials. "I thought, 'Good for them.' When I saw that we were the ones who hit, I couldn't believe it."
Patricia Raffa said she thought her husband was having a heart attack. "I told him he needed to calm down before he dropped dead," she told lottery officials. "But then he told me we hit the jackpot."
"This is a miracle," Patrica Raffa told lottery officials. "This is going to let us get a new home and pick up the pieces."
Cash 5 is a statewide draw game that gives players the chance to win a jackpot every single night. Tickets cost $1.
Cash 5 jackpots normally start at $50,000, but during the month of August the lottery is starting the jackpot at $100,000 as part of a special $100K Days promotion.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Thanks to hearsetrax for the tip.
"We always use our own numbers"
I know a win is a win but it always rings sweeter to me when it's self-pick. I love these feel good stories.
Wow! Taxes=$96,000!
Nice Win!
A feel good story for Humpday!
Congratulations to them, well deserved and for $1 you can't beat that on a NCEL promotion to up the ante.
Of course I wonder if they play MM & PB in the Virgin Islands? Has anyone there ever won the big money there?? I know PR has had two PB jackpot winners if not more!
according to the one website linked to lottery post, US Virgin Islands is a member of the Megamillions Drawings. Unknown tax info though.
Glad they will be able to reside in a place of their choice. I doubt that their US Virgin home was a shack, notice they are pretty high priced....
Agree that when its your own numbers its a special win from Lady Luck.
Powerball is played in the USVI too; Mega millions still hasn't launched in PR as of yet...
Thank You Lottery Post Staff and Congratulations to Frank and Patricia Raffa.
just like me.
i pick OWN #s, and always will and 1x i did buy a QP for cash five,
and rarely play big game pb. or mm
dad think it's a hoax, rigged, when only 1 person win over100 million, he says, knowing DOZENS
should and could win when its that high, and i see where he is comin' from,
so he tell me CASSIE its rigged lol
i do well with p4 alot of x, $$$ per year. so i do however
dabble in cash 5=better odds than pb.
congrats to these two blessed people.
I wonder if Pat & Frank, are going to rebuild their new home in the Virgin Islands? The article did not say. In any event, their “ship came in.” What a fortunate couple.
Oklahoma needs to raise the winnings to $325,000, here the winnings is only $25,000 but the lottery commission will pay taxes though which is nice
Don't forget this was a special promotion whereas that lottery normally starts @ 50K it bumped up to $100K for the month of August.
I like the idea of your lottery paying taxes on the $25K prize!
That makes sense, I wish the lottery pays taxes on all the lottery winnings on any game, haha but pick 5 is the only game that the lottery commission will pay taxes on it in Oklahoma, it is better than nothing!
I'm happy the couple won their Cash 5 ticket and fix their home!