Taking a second chance paid off with a $150,000 prize for Wendy Montagno of Pinebluff, brightening up both her birthday and her holidays.

Taking a second chance paid off with a $150,000 prize for Wendy Montagno of Pinebluff, brightening up both her birthday and her holidays.

Montagno learned of her good luck Wednesday morning just three days after her birthday and three days before Christmas.

“I am still trying to make sure it is real,” said Montagno as she collected her prize. “This is the perfect early Christmas and late birthday present. I am so grateful.”

Montagno, a third-shift stocker at Walmart, won the grand prize in the Dec. 8 Holiday Winnings second-chance drawing. Her odds of winning were 1 in 17 million.

She arrived at lottery headquarters in Raleigh later Wednesday to collect her prize. After federal and state withholdings, she received $106,125.

She said she had not decided what to do with her prize money other than to pay some bills and buy some extra Christmas presents for her family.

 

Contributed.