Friday, November 13, 2009

A retired Great Bend couple cashed in a Powerball lottery ticket worth $96 million. Don and Kathleen Damon arrived in Topeka Friday to claim their prize.

"I buy $1.00 for every drawing," Damon said as he was asked how often he plays the lottery. "Last Wednesday, I asked Jesus if he'd just let me win this, I could take care of my family and my church."

The Damon's ticket was the only one in the country that matched all numbers in the Wednesday, November 11 Powerball drawing. The jackpot was $96.6 million, but Damon and his wife Kathleen say they will take the lump sum option of $46.6 million dollars. After state and federal taxes, the Damon's will take home approximately $34 million dollars.

Damon says he bought his ticket just before 3:00 last Wednesday at the Dillons in Great Bend. Before this week, the largest prize he's ever won from playing the Kansas Lottery was $250.00.

This is the tenth time a Kansas Lottery player has won the entire Powerball jackpot. The most recent winner was in 2006 when a Topeka resident, who wished to remain anonymous, won a $15 million jackpot. In 2000, 26 American Airlines workers won the largest jackpot won in Kansas of $50 million.

Prior to the Powerball game being played in Kansas, eight Lotto America jackpots were hit in Kansas from 1988 to 1991.