‘We’re really thankful’: Lincoln County grandpa wins $390,000 while on taco run

RALEIGH — Wendell Pentecost, of Lincolnton, was on a taco run with his grandson when he decided to try his luck on a single Lucky for Life ticket and ended up winning $25,000 a year for life.

“I was on the way to get tacos with my autistic grandson, and I bought the ticket,” he said. “I adopted him, and I’ve been raising him for 11 years.”

Pentecost bought the Quick Pick ticket for the Jan. 7 drawing from 1 Stop on West Old North Carolina Highway 150 in Crouse.

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Later that night, he decided to check his tickets and said, “there it was.”

He called his family the next morning to share the good news.

“My brother is down from Virginia spending time with my mother. She has lung cancer,” he said. “I told him, ‘I hit the lottery last night,’ and he was more excited than I was. My brother and my mom said, ‘You lying!’ And I said, ‘I ain’t lying, I told you I was gonna win this thing.’”

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Winners are guaranteed $25,000 every year for life or have the option of taking a lump sum of $390,000. He chose the lump sum and took home $275,933 after required federal and state tax withholdings.

“We really appreciate being able to win,” said Pentecost. “We’re really thankful.”

He said he plans on sharing some of the loot with his family and saving most of it. But Pentecost does have his eye on something for himself.

“I’m probably looking at a classic car that I used to have,” he said. “A ’68 or ’69 Camaro. Drive it down to get some tacos or a hamburger and drive back home.”