In a surprising twist to his annual Halloween tradition, a North Carolina man, Roy Story, won a whopping $150,000 (around ₹1.26 crore) in a lottery, using the money he earned from selling pumpkins. Story, who grows and sells pumpkins each year, purchased the winning Xtreme Cashword ticket at the Sun Farms store in Elizabeth City with $10 (approximately ₹835) he made from a pumpkin sale.
“I grow a few pumpkins every year and sell them,” Story told UPI News. “Someone gave me $10 for a pumpkin, and I used that to buy the ticket.” A fan of crossword games, Story chose the ticket intentionally, revealing that he plays such games regularly.
An Unexpected Windfall
Initially, Story misjudged the extent of his win. “I didn’t have my glasses on,” he said, thinking he had won only $1,000 (around ₹83,500). The true scale of his fortune became apparent later, leaving him astonished. His plans for the prize include purchasing a brand-new truck, something many would envy.
Growing Trend of Lottery Wins
Story’s win adds to the increasing number of lottery success stories across the United States. Recently, a woman from Frederick County, Maryland, won $500,000 (around ₹4 crore) from a Powerball Double Play ticket, leaving her in shock. Meanwhile, Jose Duran from West Palm Beach, Florida, secured a $3 million (around ₹25 crore) Mega Millions jackpot in April 2023, having spent just $3 (around ₹250) on his ticket.
These lottery wins, ranging from pumpkin sales to life-changing jackpots, continue to capture the imagination of hopeful players across the country.