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Kansas man claims $97 million Powerball prize
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 posted 09:41 AM EST
Donald Damon, 70, a lifelong resident of Great Bend, was introduced in a news conference that was held at Lottery headquarters
in Topeka. Damon was the sole winner of the $96.6 million Powerball jackpot. He matched all numbers in the November 11th
drawing, winning the biggest Powerball jackpot ever won in Kansas! Damon claimed his winnings at the Kansas Lottery’s Great
Bend office, shortly after realizing he’d become a multi-millionaire.
“Thursday, my daughter Karen told me that someone had won the Powerball jackpot in south central Kansas on Wednesday,”
said Damon. “She said that she knew she hadn’t won on her ticket, so I asked her to check my ticket.“ When Karen checked
the ticket on the Lottery’s website it became a life-changing moment. “I told Dad he matched the Powerball number and
he jokingly said that he must be the winner,” said Karen. “When we realized he did have the winning ticket, we were both
shocked.” Damon and Karen immediately hopped in the car and drove to the Kansas Lottery’s Great Bend office. “I wasn’t
sure how much I’d won,” the winner said. “I figured it was $15 million. When they said it was $96.6 million, I about
fell over. I’ve been saying for years that I was going to win a Powerball jackpot someday.”
Once the paperwork was completed at the Great Bend office, Damon called his wife Kathleen at work and told her she should
come home. “I work at the Senior Center and we were having our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday,” said Kathleen. “I wasn’t
going to leave until my work was finished.” Kathleen not only works at the Senior Center in Great Bend, she also has two
other jobs. She works at a beauty salon and at Central Kansas Medical Center. “It will be nice not having to get up at
4 a.m. anymore,” said Kathleen.
The winner purchased his lucky $1 Quick Pick ticket at Dillons 51, located at 4107 10th St. in Great Bend. Damon had the
choice of taking the annuity option of $96.6 million, which is paid in 30 payments over 29 years; or the cash option of $48.3
million, which is paid in one lump sum. He has decided to take the cash option. Now that he’s a multi-millionaire, Damon
plans to help a few local churches with a portion of his prize money. He also said he wanted to take his grandson Brendon
to Las Vegas for his 21st birthday. Otherwise, he was undecided how he’d spend his winnings.
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