North Carolina preschool teacher, laid off after 20 years, wins $250G lottery prize

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A North Carolina preschool teacher who was laid off earlier this year recently had his luck dramatically turn around. 

Joe Camp, who had been teaching for 20 years, was laid off in September, WSOC-TV in Charlotte reported.

A month later, his father died, sinking him further into depression.

"It put me in a dark place. But I have a lot of friends and family that just told me to keep sticking in there, keep believing in myself," Camp said. 

Camp said he buys a scratch-off lottery ticket every Thursday morning. But last week, he bought two Gold Rush tickets from the Coulwood BP gas station on Belhaven Boulevard in Charlotte.

"I didn’t win on the first one, so I tried the second and I scratched it off, and I fell to my knees at the gas pump," he said.

Camps reportedly claimed the prize money earlier this week in Raleigh. He home with just under $177,000 after required federal and state withholdings.

Camp said he plans to buy a home for himself and his daughter, then save the rest for her education.

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