DES MOINES, Iowa – A Mitchell County man had to triple-check his ticket to be sure he had won the top prize of $250,000 playing the lottery’s “Cash Bonanza” instant-scratch game.
Dwight Onken, 57, from Osage purchased his ticket Friday after work.
“Went home and I started scratching on it, and the third number across that I scratched matched!” he said.
Onken kept checking to make sure he was a winner.
“It was just disbelief,” he said. “I had to take about three takes on it. Then I wondered, how could anybody possibly be playing a practical joke on me like this? Finally I knew it was real.”
Onken had to wait for the lottery office to open on Monday morning before he could cash in the winning ticket.
“It’s kind of stressful at first, until I got over the initial shock,” Onken said. “If I don’t get struck by lightning or anything, I’ll actually get to cash the check!”
Onken claimed his prize Monday at the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Mason City. He said he also had all weekend to figure out what he wanted to use the winnings for.
“I was going to buy a little bit more of a stock that I like … and I’ll put the rest of this into the savings for now,” he said.
Onken, who is a meter reader for Osage Municipal Utilities, purchased his winning ticket at Kwik Star, 809 Main St. in Osage.
“I like to set new goals, so we’ll go for a million now!” he said.
