Cerro Gordo Man’s Spin Good for $500,000

DarrellRiely with a ceremonial check at state lottery headquarters. (Submittedphoto)
Darrell Riley with a ceremonial check at state lottery headquarters. (Submitted photo)

Darrell Riley of Cerro Gordo had a chance to spin a giant prize wheel Wednesday at the Bigger $pin Live Event and he watched in anticipation as the wheel landed on a $500,000 prize.

“I never imagined winning a half-million dollars,” Riley said.

Riley, a 66-year-old construction worker, first got lucky when he bought his $10 Bigger $pin scratch-off from the Circle K on Long Branch Road in Dunn.

“I didn’t know what I won, I just called my wife and said ‘Sweetie, I may have won some money,’” Riley said.

 In his big spin Wednesday, Riley won $500,000. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $355,316.

 He said he plans to give some of his winnings to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, pay some bills, and go to Hawaii this Thanksgiving with his wife.

 “We never took a honeymoon trip so that’s what our Hawaii trip will be,” Riley said.

Riley is the fifth person to get a chance to win one of the $2 million prizes. At the first event in November, a retired Greensboro postal worker won $900,000 and a Durham cook won $400,000. At the second event in January, a manufacturing plant worker from Fayetteville won $500,000. At the third event in July, a retired certified nursing assistant from Mount Gilead became the first $2 million winner.

One more chance to spin the prize wheel for a $2 million prize is up for grabs in a second-chance drawing. All Bigger $pin tickets can be entered into the drawing. The deadline for entries is Oct. 16 and the drawing is scheduled for Oct. 19.

State grants totaling $15 million, using money raised by the lottery, are being distributed to Columbus County and Whiteville City Schools with school construction needs. The lottery brings in $2.5 million a day on average in North Carolina.

About Jefferson Weaver 1928 Articles
Jefferson Weaver is the Managing Editor of Columbus County News and he can be reached at (910) 914-6056, (910) 632-4965, or by email at [email protected].