Son’s jersey numbers and birthday help dad crack the code and win NC lottery jackpot
A North Carolina dad was stunned by a jackpot lottery win after playing some special numbers.
Joseph Gardner Jr. bought a $1 Cash 5 ticket and played a combination of his son’s birthday and the sports jersey numbers he used to wear, Gardner told North Carolina Education Lottery officials in a Dec. 20 news release.
The numbers ended up matching all five white balls in the Dec. 6 drawing, winning the Wilson resident $120,000, according to lottery officials.
“I was totally shocked to be frank with you,” he told lottery officials. “It was a pretty good night to say the least.”
Gardner bought his lucky ticket at The Grocery Door in Wilson and didn’t realize how much he won until he got home to check the numbers, according to lottery officials.
The dad took home $85,213 after taxes, lottery officials said.
Gardner plans to pay bills and do home repairs with the winnings, he told lottery officials.
Wilson is about 50 miles east of Raleigh.
