WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Robert Kennedy of Winston-Salem deals with risks and rewards every day as a financial analyst, but when he took a chance on lottery ticket, he never thought he'd get a reward to the tune of $1 million!
Kennedy bought a "$5,000 Loaded" scratch-off ticket at the Circle K on West Clemmonsville Road on Tuesday.
“For some reason I just felt drawn to the ticket,” Kennedy said. “I knew I won something right away, but I thought it was something small. I couldn’t believe it when I saw $1 million.”
Kennedy immediately shared the good news with his wife.
“She had just spent the night in the hospital with my mother-in-law,” Kennedy said. “When I showed her the ticket, she immediately perked up. It turned a bad day into a good one.”
Kennedy claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday. He had the choice of taking a $1 million annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum. After taxes, he took home over $424,000.
He plans to save for retirement, and take a dream trip with his wife to see their favorite sports teams - the Minnesota Twins and the Vikings.