Fayetteville veteran to help homeless, pets with $1M lottery win

Sgt. Maj. George Brooks purchased his lucky $20 ticket for the $200 Million Blowout game at the Boulevard BP/Amoco station on Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville on Sunday.

“I normally buy a few $1 tickets, but something made me buy a $20 ticket that day,” Brooks said in a statement Wednesday from the North Carolina Education Lottery. “I thought maybe I’d won my money back. When the clerk scanned the ticket and told me what I had won, I got so excited. It was a good investment, that’s for sure.”

Brooks opted for a lump sum of $415,506 after state and federal taxes were withheld.

“There are a lot of people and a lot of animals in this world that need our help,” he said. “This money is going to do just that. And I’m going to rescue a dog and give him a good home in my new house.”

Brooks has a few more ideas for the money.

“I may also buy an RV and travel around the United States and visit my family,” he said. “This feels absolutely fabulous.”