Alamance County woman wins $2 million Mega Millions prize

A Burlington woman said she used family birthdays to choose her Mega Millions numbers.

Brenda Stokes' strategy paid off with a $2 million win in Friday's drawing.

“I don’t even know how to feel,” she said. “I’m so excited.”

Stokes won the only $2 million prize in the country in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. The odds of matching numbers on all five white balls are 1 in 12.6 million.

“It’s a blessing,” Stokes said.

Stokes bought her lucky $3 ticket from Philomena Inc. on South Church Street in Burlington. Her ticket matched the numbers on all five white balls to win $1 million. The prize doubled to $2 million when the 2X Megaplier hit.

“I’m still in shock,” she said.

Stokes arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to claim her prize. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $1,430,001.

Stokes plans to invest her winnings and possibly take a trip.

Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing offers a $148 million annuity, or $67.8 million in cash.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.