NC woman walks "like a zombie" after $500K second-chance prize

• The North Carolina Education Lottery's $10 Million Spectacular second chance drawing awarded $500,000 to one Jacksonville woman
• After she was told about the second-chance prize, the winner said she couldn't sleep for days and walked "around like a zombie"
• The woman usually donates to nearly two dozen charities around Christmas, and this year, the windfall will help her give back even more, doubling her donations

One woman, who often donates to charities around Christmas, was surprised by a life-changing second-chance lottery prize.

Earlier in the week, the North Carolina Education Lottery said that a Jacksonville woman emerged as the winner of $500,000 from its $10 Million Spectacular second chance promotion.

The winner beat the odds of 1 in 1.2m

Each non-winning $10 Million Spectacular scratch-off ticket scanned within a player's account with the North Carolina Education Lottery is automatically added to a second-chance drawing.

Besides the $500,000 prize, won by the fortunate Onslow County woman, the second-chance drawing awards one top prize of $1m, as well as 10 prizes of $50,000.

Surprisingly, the lucky Jacksonville woman emerged as the winner out of more than 1.2m total entries from the $10 Million Spectacular Second Chance drawing on December 3, 2025.

The fortunate Jacksonville woman cried tears of joy

After receiving a phone call from an official with the North Carolina Education Lottery, the woman admitted she was so happy she couldn't sleep for days.

Remembering the moment after she was told about the life-changing $500,000 second-chance lottery prize, the Jacksonville winner said: "I was walking around like a zombie."

The winner said that when she told her family, everyone started cheering, while she was crying with joy.

"It's emotional. I never think I am going to win that much money in my life," the Onslow County woman said.

Interestingly, the fortunate winner said that every year, around Christmas, she donates to 21 different charities.

In light of her latest windfall, she said that this year, she will double her donations.

Considering that state and federal taxes are applicable to lottery winnings in North Carolina, the lucky woman's bank account increased by nearly $359,000 after she visited the Lottery headquarters earlier in the week.

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