Couple never had honeymoon trip — now they’re going to Hawaii after big NC lottery win
A construction worker told his wife he “may have won some money” — then he hit the jackpot in North Carolina.
Now, the six-figure prize winner is planning a big vacation, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.
“We never took a honeymoon trip so that’s what our Hawaii trip will be,” Darrell Riley said in a Sept. 7 news release.
Riley had his first taste of luck when he went to a Circle K in Dunn, roughly 40 miles south of Raleigh. While at the convenience store’s Long Branch Road location, officials said he spent $10 on a ticket for the Bigger Spin game.
“I didn’t know what I won, I just called my wife and said ‘Sweetie, I may have won some money,’” Riley told lottery officials.
It turns out, Riley’s scratch-off ticket gave him a chance to spin a game show-style wheel. Video from the N.C. Education Lottery shows his spin landed on the $500,000 mark.
“I never imagined winning a half-million dollars,” said Riley, a 66-year-old living in the Columbus County town of Cerro Gordo.
Riley kept $355,316 after taxes, according to officials. In addition to the Hawaii trip, he said he wants to pay bills and donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
It’s not the first time a North Carolina lottery player has considered going on an out-of-state adventure.
Earlier this year, officials said a prize-winning couple geared up for their dream vacation, and a lucky dad hoped to spoil his daughter at Disney World.
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This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Couple never had honeymoon trip — now they’re going to Hawaii after big NC lottery win."
