Harnett man to use lottery winnings to help local youths

Harrison Ridgell III won a share of Monday night's $987,523 Cash 5 jackpot.

“I started playing Cash 5 five years ago,” Ridgell, of Lillington, said in a news release. “The numbers are a combination of birthdays, days of the week and numbers that I feel like are lucky.”

He bought a $1 Cash 5 ticket at Cape Fear Beverage, on West Old Road N.C. 27 in Lillington, and he saw his numbers being drawn while sitting at his parents' house.

“I already knew the numbers in my head, and when I saw them come out, I said, 'Hey! That’s my numbers,'” he said said.

Ridgell claimed his part of the jackpot, $328,841, on Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $232,655.

“I wanted to win a Cash 5 jackpot because I want to do something good with the money,” he said. “It ain’t about me. We can do more if we just take ourselves out of the picture. We got to reach down and got to help somebody else up.

“It’s about what you’re going to leave in this world to make it better for somebody else," he added. "This is a blessing, and I’m going to use it for something good for the betterment of the people in my community.”

Two other lucky tickets, both purchased with Online Play, matched all five numbers in the drawing, and each winner will receive a third of the jackpot.