John Woods, 25, of Hinesville won a $35,000 prize playing Roll 'Em Up, a Georgia Lottery instant game, the corporation announced Tuesday.
He purchased the lottery ticket at a Clyde's Market at 5879 W. Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville, and scratched it at home.
"I couldn't believe it," said Woods, a warehouse worker. "I showed my wife the ticket, and she was in shock."
Woods and his wife, Linda, celebrated their third wedding anniversary July 9. Besides paying off bills, the couple planned an activity to commemorate the occasion.
"Winning is great," he said.
Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned over $9.3 billion to the state for education. Lottery proceeds pay for specific educational programs including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-kindergarten Program. More than 1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 790,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program.