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Two lucky winners are celebrating massive prizes after each scoring big in the North Carolina lottery.
Jami Sasso-Zavala, of Raleigh, recently purchased a $2 Lucky for Life ticket from the Food Lion on Louisburg Road, where he discovered that "lucky for life" is more than just the name of the game — it's an actual possibility thanks to his winning ticket.
Beating the 1 in more than 1.8 million odds, Sasso-Zavala matched all five white balls during Monday's (August 1) drawing, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters the following day where he had to choose between getting $25,000 per year for the rest of his life or receiving a one time, lump sum payment of $390,000. In the end, he chose the latter, bringing home $276,942 after all require state and federal tax withholdings.
Another player joining in on the fun was Nerisa Dizdarevic, of Winston-Salem, who hit the jackpot in a recent Cash 5 win, scoring the $443,848 prize, according to another release from lottery officials. Trying her luck at the lottery, she purchased her winning ticket from the Speedway on South Stratford Road and claimed her prize at lottery headquarters, taking home $315,183.