‘Yabba dabba doo.’ NC retiree who buys scratch-offs every day wins top lottery prize
A North Carolina retiree’s morning routine paid off for him.
Vernis Hardy, a retired power line worker from Whiteville, says he goes to buy a drink and a scratch-off lottery ticket every morning to give himself something to do, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
“There’s not much to do now that I’m retired,” Hardy told lottery officials.
He bought a $5 Blazing 7 scratch-off from the Minuteman Food Mart in Brunswick, and when he took it home and scratched it, he couldn’t believe he had won $200,000.
“Great day in the morning!” he told lottery officials. “I didn’t need to scratch anything after that. I couldn’t believe it.”
He claimed his prize Monday, and took home $141,501 after taxes, according to the lottery.
“Yabba dabba doo!” Hardy said when he got his check echoing cartoon character Fred Flintstone, according to the lottery. “This is wonderful.”
Hardy told lottery officials he plans to use the money to make sure his five adult children are taken care of before he does anything for himself.
Blazing 7 launched in July and two top prizes are still out there, according to the lottery.
