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A woman in North Carolina is celebrating a "blessing" from her late father in the form of a major lottery win.
Katie Knighten, of Greensboro, stopped by the Quick & Easy on Burlington Road where she works on September 23 to pick up a $5 Safari Bingo ticket, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. The purchase ended up being good luck as she hit the Fast Play rolling jackpot and scored $143,237.
"I was ecstatic," she recalled of the win, adding that she "called my mama crying."
The unexpected win was made even more special as she believed it to be a sign from her late father, whom she lost in August.
"We felt like it was a blessing from him," she said.
Knighten claimed her prize on Wednesday (October 5), taking home a grand total of $101,714 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what she plans to do with her new winnings, she told lottery officials she is thinking of buying a new Toyota Tacoma. Her major hope, however, is buying a new house.
"We are renting the home we currently live in and we'd love to buy that,'' she said.
According to lottery officials, because Knighten purchased a $5 ticket, she won 50% of the $286,474 Fast Play Jackpot. As of Thursday, the jackpot sits around $144,000.