GREENSBORO, N.C. — The owner of a Greensboro fast-food restaurant is once again relishing his good fortune with the N.C. Education Lottery.
Ralph Havis, who owns Beef Burger, won $1 million playing 100X The Cash — his third big lottery win in less than two years, and the second in less than a month.
Havis bought the ticket early Tuesday morning and claimed his prize that afternoon. After choosing the lump sum payment of $600,000 and, after federal and state taxes were withheld, Havis received $415,506. He said he plans to share some of the prize with his employees and put the rest in the bank.
Havis' first big win was many moons ago, and has nothing to do with the lottery. It's when he was with his soon-to-be wife, who has since passed away.
"She came in and ordered a fish sandwich. The whole time she stood in line, she was smiling. She was just so beautiful, it blinded me. I got her number from someone who knew her. I must have called her 50 times and she'd hang up on me," laughed Ralph, the 73-year-old longtime owner of the "Beef Burger" on Gate City Boulevard, as he remembered the early days with his wife, Alma. "She was my whole world. We took care of each other for 53 years. I never even looked at another woman. Why would I? She blinded me."
Alma died from complications from a stroke in January.
The two used to buy scratch-off lottery tickets for fun. Two years ago, Alma won $150,000.
In April, Ralph played the same scratch-off game, at the same location and won $150,000.
"I was like, 'Good God almighty.' Alma was my first thought. Always is. I know it was Alma and God shining down on me, I know it was," Ralph said with a tremble in his voice. "I'll be OK, but I'd give it all back with interest if I could have my Alma back."
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Wow.
I love these stories.
What a great lottery story. Now that's love.
WTG Ralph!
Halfway through this incredible story I started to choke up. The last line had me bawling like a baby. What a wonderful story!
when its ment to be its ment to be
Wow, what a touching story.
I'm at work - someone in the office must be cutting onions because my eyes are getting watery.
The lovely Alma Havis.
What a beautiful story...
Ok three top prizes in the same store, y'all better wake up nobody's that lucky, maybe he's the only person buying tickets at that store lol..
Beautiful story...
Awesome story I must say
Hands down the best lottery win story EVER!! And even though I'm not supposed to think it, I'm glad when it goes to someone who actually deserves it, in that he seems like a lovely person . Maybe a bit of a stalker in the beginning but otherwise a good and decent person. And nice of him to consider giving to his employees too.
There is no way in he!! he wins those jackpots without
dumping a $hit!oad of money on tickets etc.
The story makes it seem like he was a casual player.
That guy is a hardcore gambler.
We also had a 10 million dollar scratch off winner last week here in NC. I think he got like 4.1 mill after tax
Nice Win!
Don't judge a person without physically meeting them u are judging him in every way I see good lovely stalker etc etc haha
I cried when he said he would give it all back with interest if he could have his wife back. God bless him.
Awesome, Congrats Ralph.
Congratulations Ralph, maybe you should venture north. New Jersey on a roll, another $1 million on Mega Millions this week.
BTW, just found another tossed $5 winner in KY; this time bought MM with MP and PB with PP...maybe this time something will come in. Best of luck everyone!
If you believe, you'll see her again. stay healthy, God bless
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How somebody could just toss a lotto ticket (I assume it was a PB or MM ticket), is beyond me.
People simply don't get it.
Even if you throw away one ticket, and it turns out to be worth $2, that could be the finder's millions.
I don't understand people these days.
Maybe it's the heat? humidity?
.
Anyway, how about that New Jersey, winning so many doggone times, recently?
.
Well Mr. BlueDog101, I hope it turns out to be something special for you.
.
.
Mr. Chris-Chase,
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I never thought of that.
He probably buys whole spools of scratch-offs at a time.
(but likely not).
.
Mr. Groppo
It was a scratcher that I don't play found in the trash can next to big blue lottery machine..that makes $215 so far this year; same store. This one wasn't even scanned, bar code or security thing not scratched off.
He should stop playing these scratchers for chump change and go win mega millions tonight!
I like to see nice people win. To bad about his ex wife. I think she was smiling down on him. I hope he enjoys it in a healthy and happy way.
He didn't take your advice, or if he did, didn't win Mega Millions last night. Strange that NJ didn't have all five #'s for a change!
Ok. You win 1 million but take home only $400,000 +, NC state should be called the taxnificant state. Dang. THe game should
be called win $400,000 after taxes . Anyway, Congrats to him for the win. Hope his luck rubs off on the rest of us.
That's terrible, I shouldn't be lazy and look up your taxrate. In KY you get about $670K after all taxes, so the KY lottery says.
"y'all better wake up nobody's that lucky",
amen.
That's sad $415,000.00 out of a million dollar face value . The taxman suck's
I live in Greensboro & have eaten in his restaurant & it couldn't haven't happened to a better man for sure!
I bet anything he will win again!
I've always believed you reap what you sow!...Amen!
And that's what is happening to this man...he's a giver not a taker!
I found a dollar scratch card laying at the top of a trash can that was full as I was walking out of a convenient store one time and just glanced down at it and saw it was 3 sevens in a row...how anyone could miss that is beyond me and they had won a $100...good for me for finding it...was not about to go in the store and give it to the clerk because I feel sure he would have kept it.
This was before they had the scanners where you can scan it for yourself.
Actually I've missed some myself but the ones I missed had a win but when I gave it to be cashed it was for more than I had seen and once I threw one in my own trash can & decided to look at it one more time and it was a winner...it's easy to do sometimes.
One time I missed a win of $25 and it made me so mad I went to another store & bought another one and won $1000 so I was glad I missed it because I would not have bought another one!
Here's the picture of it...
https://www.lotterypost.com/thread/226512/4627646
I know what you mean Vergie. Back in 2003, before North Carolina had the lottery but South Carolina did, people were going nuts for the scratch-offs. Well, I worked on the border of NC/SC and would always get my gas at the same convenience store in SC because it's 30 cents a gallon cheaper than in NC. I got into the habit of picking up the $5 and $10 scratch tickets that people had thrown away, take them home and check them again. Dang if I didn't cash in about $400+ in $5-$50 winning tickets in just a few weeks. One was even a $100 winner!
WOW!...good for you!
OTP:
Luck think about it.....
Wow that is amazing.