DURHAM, N.C. — When Terri Watkins, of Durham, got a call letting her know she had won $1 million, she couldn’t believe her ears, according to an NC Education Lottery news release.
“I thought that it was a scam. I was a little upset actually!” she said. “I thought that it was not real, couldn’t be real. It’s still something that I really don’t believe, I’m still in some shock here.”
Her entry was chosen from over 513,000 entries in the final $300,000,000 Supreme Riches second-chance drawing on Wednesday.
Winners of second-chance drawings receive a phone call or email notifying them that they won.
“I’m a nurse, and I work in the COVID unit at a long-term care facility,” Watkins said. “Just seeing some of the things that I’ve had to see, I am very thankful. I had been praying for something to help me with this situation. It really is a great thing. I’m very blessed.”
Watkins claimed her prize Thursday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
She had the option to take the $1 million prize as an annuity of 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump sum and took home $424,500 after required state and federal tax withholdings.
“I’m just going to take it slow and easy and figure out what I’m going to do,” Watkins said. “I would love a new home, but I’ve just got to take time and put it in the right place.”
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