Colby Resident Wins $142,860 Tax Free Cash!

While checking his Powerball and Super Kansas Cash tickets at a local grocery store on May 17, Sherman Van Horn decided to try his luck playing a Kansas Lottery $20 Tax Free Cash instant scratch game.  Although he didn't win on his Powerball or Super Kansas Cash tickets, the Colby resident did win a "Tax Free Cash" top prize worth $142,860!

"When I was checking my tickets, I asked the gal behind the counter what number the game was on," explained Van Horn.  "She said the game was on ticket number 12 and I thought that sounded like a good number, so I bought one ticket."

Van Horn was right!  Ticket 12 was a good number.  The Colby resident revealed five identical symbols in a row on Game Five, winning the $142,860 top prize!  The $20 Tax Free Cash instant scratch game offers players a chance to win up to 26 times on 10 games.

"I couldn't believe it," said Van Horn.  "I was shooting the breeze with a friend while I was scratching my ticket and asked him to take a look to make sure I was seeing things right.  When he agreed it looked like I had won a top prize, I went to show my wife, Linda, who was waiting for me in the parking lot.  When I showed her the ticket, she couldn't believe it either."

"I thought he was kidding me," said Linda Van Horn.  "He's always play jokes.  I used to fuss at him for buying $20 tickets, but I'm not going to say a word anymore."

After signing the back of his winning ticket, Van Horn placed it in a home safe until he was able to make the trip to Lottery headquarters in Topeka.

"I wasn't really nervous having the ticket at home," said Van Horn.  "I knew it was in a safe place, but I still kept an eye on it."

The Van Horns, who have been married 41 years, have one daughter.  After tithing 10 percent of their winnings to their church, the couple plans to pay off their daughter's student loans and purchase a newer truck.

The winning ticket was purchased at Dillons 50, located at 1605 S. Range Ave. in Colby.