By Hugh Fisher
hfisher@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Brian Bost, winner of $1 million in the N.C. Education Lottery, celebrated his prize this morning with lottery officials at Sandy Ridge Service Station, where he bought the winning ticket.
Bost, who lives in China Grove and is a regular customer, said the prize won’t change him.
The Duke Power retiree won a $1 million prize in the “$200 Million Extravaganza” scratch-off game.
He bought the ticket at Sandy Ridge and scratched it off at the store.
Store clerk Allan “Bunky” Storie sold Bost two game tickets at $20 each.
Bost scratched off the first one there at the store and, for a moment, didn’t believe what he saw.
“I said, ‘Bunky, check this for me.'”
He checked it. It was verified.
But Bost decided to keep news of the winnings to himself for several weeks.
He and friends went on a planned fishing trip to Cape Lookout before traveling to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim the prize.
Bost only told his wife once word of the win reached her through friends.
“It’s just one of those things,” Bost said.
Tom Shaheen, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery, came to Sandy Ridge to celebrate Bost’s win.
He presented the store with a “$1 Million Winner” banner for sale of the winning ticket.
As of today, three $3 million prizes and seven more $1 million prizes remain in the scratch-off game.
Bost will receive his prize in annual installments.
After 27 percent state and federal taxes, that comes to just over $34,000 a year.
Bost said the prize won’t change things for him, his wife or their grown son.
“I live a good life,” he said. “I’m very fortunate.”