A Richmond County mom's routine purchase at a local Speedway turned into a life-changing moment when she scratched off a $2 million top prize in the new Ruby Red 7's lottery game. According to the NC Education Lottery, Trena Nicholson of Hamlet, a mother of six, experienced a burst of exhilaration that had her hopping around in disbelief. "I was jumping up and down screaming," Nicholson told officials from the lottery.
According to the NC Education Lottery, Nicholson’s fortune came courtesy of a $20 scratch-off purchased at a Speedway on West Hamlet Avenue — a seemingly ordinary purchase that dramatically changed her financial future. After realizing she had a winning ticket, Nicholson immediately shared the news with her family. “I called my daughter and was like, ‘I won, I won, I won,’” she recalled, echoing a long-held dream of hitting it big. At the lottery headquarters, Nicholson faced the classic winner’s dilemma: choose between an annuity of $100,000 a year for 20 years or take a lump sum payment of $1.2 million.
Choosing the immediate gratification route, Nicholson opted for the lump sum, which, after the government's cut, left her with a cool $861,006 in hand. Plans for the newfound wealth are decidedly practical and generous, intending to share with her children and to settle bills, Nicholson confirmed. The Ruby Red 7's game was freshly minted this month, teasing players with three $2 million prizes, of which two now remain unclaimed, alongside seven $100,000 prizes that are still up for grabs.
