Lenexa Resident Reaches for the "Stars" - Wins $10,000 Top Prize Playing Star Trek

After getting off work Tuesday morning, Mona Lisa Brownlee went to visit a friend at a nearby party shop.  While at the store, the Lenexa resident decided to try her luck playing Kansas Lottery instant scratch tickets and bought two, a $2 Star Trek ticket and a $2 Pinball ticket.  Brownlee won $4 playing Pinball and a free ticket playing Star Trek.  After pocketing the $4, she decided to cash in her free ticket for another Star Trek ticket, and boy, she was glad she did!  Brownlee revealed a $10,000 top prize playing the game!

"I'm never lucky," said Brownlee.  "My friend was telling me about all the winning tickets she had seen recently, so I thought I would give it a try.  I never expected to win such a big prize.  It was a shock."

While at the store, Brownlee asked to have her ticket verified.

"I didn't have my glasses on, so I originally thought I had won $1,000," explained Brownlee.  "After my friend took a look at the ticket, she looked over at me and said, 'You didn't win $1,000.  You won $10,000!'  I wasn't going to get my hopes up until the Lottery verified I'd won."

After calling her sister Malinda Brownlee with the good news, the sisters made the trip to Lottery headquarters in Topeka.

"Malinda won $10,000 four years ago on a $1 Double Doubler ticket," said Brownlee.  "Since she knew where I needed to go to claim my ticket, I called her and asked her to give me a ride to Topeka.  Even though she assured me I had won $10,000, I still had a hard time believing it."

The big win finally sank in when Brownlee arrived at Lottery headquarters.

"This is unbelievable," said Brownlee.  "Like I said, I'm never lucky.  Maybe my luck is changing."

Brownlee, who works with people with special needs at CLO in Kansas City, Kan., plans to pay a few bills and save the rest of her winnings.

The winning ticket was purchased at Roger's Party Shop, located at 1719 N 38th St. in Kansas City, Kan.