LELAND, NC — A quick stop at a local convenience store turned into a life-changing event for a Brunswick County resident this week, netting a major six-figure payout from the state lottery.
Mary Dillingham of Leland officially claimed a $100,000 prize at the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters on Thursday, following a lucky streak on a scratch-off ticket purchased earlier in the week.
The winning $20 Ruby Red 7’s ticket was bought at the Minuteman Food Mart, located on Mercantile Drive in Leland.
Dillingham traveled to the state lottery offices in Raleigh on May 28 to formally process the ticket. After mandatory state and federal tax withholdings were deducted from the lump-sum total, she took home $72,016.
According to state lottery officials, the Ruby Red 7’s game originally debuted in August with a prize structure featuring three $2 million top prizes and nine $100,000 second-tier prizes. Dillingham’s win significantly thins the remaining high-tier field for the scratch-off game; only two of the $2 million top prizes and two of the $100,000 prizes now remain unclaimed statewide.
Proceeds from ticket sales like the one purchased in Leland directly contribute to regional education infrastructure. In the last fiscal year, Brunswick County public school programs received more than $6.3 million in direct funding generated by the N.C. Education Lottery.
© 2026 BCDollarSaver.com All rights reserved.
Be the first to comment