Retiree felt “lucky” and ends up with $1 million win! Drawing Date: 10/19/2018 October 24, 2018 – Jerry and Jo Mears of Eden, North Carolina, like to relax at their place at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. On a recent trip, Jerry decided to buy some Mega Millions tickets, which at the time had a jackpot totaling $1 billion. “I just felt lucky,” the retiree said. So he stopped at Whistle Stop, located at 11729 Old Franklin Turnpike in Union Hall, Va., and bought $30 worth of tickets. Turns out, he came very close to hitting the jackpot. One of his tickets matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. That wins Mega Millions’ second prize of $1 million. Although he discovered his million-dollar win at 3:00 in the morning, he waited until 6:30 to wake up Jo. “I said, ‘How does it feel to be a millionaire?’” he told Virginia Lottery officials. “She thought I was crazy.” On October 24, Jo officially redeemed the winning ticket on behalf of the couple and collected the $1 million prize from the Virginia Lottery. The store receives a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Jo, who is a dental hygienist, said the winnings will help take care of their three daughters.