Includes video report
ASBURY PARK, N.J. — James Wood shot up out of his seat Friday the second his name was called. He had the feeling all week that this would be his day.
The Little Egg Harbor man, a retired trucker, won $1 million in Asbury Park Convention Hall at the New Jersey Lottery Million Dollar Replay event.
He turned and gave a tearful hug to his brother-in-law, Jeffrey Brook, who accompanied him to Friday's event, which you can see in the video above.
The part Wood, 56, was most excited for was telling his 16-year-old daughter after school that he won.
"I told her I'm going to send a limo for her if I won," Wood said. He said he planned two vacations, one of which was going to be to Hawaii. The other? "I'm going to Disneyland," Wood said. He also said he would give his brother-in-law a new patio.
The year-long NJ Lottery Million Dollar Replay program offers lottery players a second chance to win cash with eligible, non-winning instant tickets. Fourteen other winners received cash prizes ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
“This is the ninth consecutive year that New Jersey Lottery has held this spectacular event to provide lottery players with second chances to win cash prizes with previously non-winning scratch-off game tickets," New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James Carey said. "Our semi-finalists were in the audience to experience the anticipation, excitement and potential of becoming a millionaire,” Carey said.
Also awarded during the event were the following secondary prizes:
- Two (2) winners of $100,000
- Three (3) winners of $50,000
- Four (4) winners of $25,000
- Five (5) winners of $10,000
VIDEO: Watch the winning moment
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
(Click to display full-size in gallery)