Photo: jhorrocks/E+/Getty Images
The family of a man in North Carolina is in for the Christmas of a lifetime after he scored a $1 million lottery prize just in time for the holidays.
Bobby Wilder, of Raleigh, recently purchased a ticket in the new $10 Million Spectacular scratch-off game from the Fast Pik Food Mart on Garner Road, a move that landed him one of the game's big prizes, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
When he realized that he won, and just how big his prize was, he immediately had to share the exciting news, telling lottery officials, "I called my mom crying and told her, "I just won a million dollars.'"
Wilder claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday (December 7) where he had to choose to accept his winnings as either an annuity of $50,000 over the course of 20 years or as a one time, lump sum payment of $600,000. He ended up choosing the latter, taking a home a grand total of $427,514 after all required state and federal tax withholdings.
Wilder's massive win comes at the perfect time as the holiday season is quickly approaching, with the winner telling lottery officials he has plans to spoil his family.
"I'm definitely going to make sure my family is going to have the best Christmas," he said.
In addition to making this Christmas one to remember, he plans to save some of his winnings "for a rainy day."
According to the lottery website, the $10 Million Spectacular game debuted this month with five top prizes of $10 million, 20 prizes of $1 million and 20 prizes of $100,000. So far, Wilder is the only winner to have claimed a prize in the game.