Hendersonville Woman Nearly Tosses $1 Million Lottery Ticket Before Discovering Win

A Hendersonville woman says she was moments away from throwing away a North Carolina Education Lottery scratch-off ticket before discovering it was worth $1 million.

Melissa Johnson purchased a $10 LOTERIA™ MULTIPLIER scratch-off ticket from Rock Convenience on Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville. After initially believing the ticket was not a winner, she decided to scan it before discarding it.

“My heart was beating so fast,” Johnson said in a statement released by the North Carolina Education Lottery. “I started screaming.”

Johnson claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. She chose a lump-sum payment of $600,000 rather than receiving the winnings as a 20-year annuity. After federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $432,063.

“I worked so hard in my life,” Johnson said. “I never thought this would happen.”

Johnson said she plans to use the money to help her family.

The LOTERIA™ MULTIPLIER game launched in March and features four top prizes of $1 million. According to the lottery, two of those top prizes remain unclaimed.

The North Carolina Education Lottery reports that Henderson County received more than $5.7 million in lottery-funded education support during Fiscal Year 2025. That included funding for school construction, school support staff, pre-kindergarten programs, college scholarships, and student transportation. Since the lottery began in 2006, more than $86.3 million has been directed to education programs in Henderson County.

Lottery officials remind players that the odds of winning vary by game and encourage responsible play.