WS Chronicle

Teddy Williamson, a barber from Greensboro, plans to use the $1 million prize he won playing the lottery to purchase a new home. He is the third and final player to win $1 million instantly playing the Holiday Millions game.

Williamson purchased his winning ticket after work on Tuesday at the Great Stops on Church Street in Greensboro.

“I knew there weren’t many Holiday Millions tickets left out there so I had to get one,” Williamson said. “I took it to a friend’s house and scratched it. When I saw it said a million, I couldn’t believe it. It still hasn’t hit me, really.”

Rather than claim the $1 million prize in annuity payments of $50,000 a year for 20 years, Williamson chose the $600,000 cash option. The after-tax value of his prize totaled $408,006. He plans to use a portion of his winnings to help his family, take a vacation and save for the future.

“Now I can feel it,” Williamson said as he held his check for the first time. “This is going to put me in a good place.”

Players can enter their non-winning Holiday Millions tickets into a drawing for a chance to win $3 million, the largest second-chance prize the NCEL has ever offered. The draw date is April 3 and entries must be submitted at www.lucke-zone.com by March 31.