RALEIGH, N.C. — Greensboro residents Mark Cockman, Jeffrey Jaeger, and Gary Selders enjoy playing the lottery together, but none of them could believe their luck when they hit a $158,535 jackpot.
“We all looked at one another thinking, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Cockman recalled.
Jaeger said he enjoys the group dynamic of playing the lottery.
“Playing with other people just makes it more fun,” Jaeger said. “It’s like camaraderie.”
The three friends met each other years ago at the Greensboro Elks Lodge on West Cornwallis Drive in Greensboro where they are all members. They were socializing at the lodge when they bought the winning $5 20X The Cash ticket. They won their prize on January 17.
“We each put a little bit in,” Jaeger said. “I don’t think any of us believed it when we won.”
At the time of their purchase, the jackpot stood at $317,070. Since they bought a $5 ticket, they received 50% of the progressive jackpot.
They arrived on January 18 to collect their prize. Cockman and Selders each claimed $52,317 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $37,407. Jaeger claimed $53,902 and took home $38,540 after taxes.