$500 lottery prize leads N.C. man to $1 million jackpot

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man who won $500 from a scratch-off lottery ticket decided to try again and scored a $1 million prize.

Mebane resident James Vandling told North Carolina Education Lottery officials he originally didn't plan to buy a lottery ticket but had to make a stop at Hawfield General Store on South N.C. 119 in Mebane.

"My nephew wanted a Gatorade so we stopped," Vandling recalled.

Vandling ended up buying a $50 $10 Million Spectacular ticket and scratched off a $500 prize, inspiring him to buy another of the tickets.

"Go big or go home," Vandling said.

The second ticket turned out to be a $1 million winner.

"I kept telling people I was going to win big one day," he said.

He said he is already making plans for his winnings.

"I'm going to take my kids and grandkids to Disney World," he said. "We've never done that before."