$150,000 Win Keeps Southern Iowa Man Up All Night
Kenneth Blank Claims Top Prize In 'Gem 7s' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa — A $150,000 win can turn an ordinary day upside down, and for one southern Iowa man, the thrill wouldn't fade.
“I didn't sleep last night,” Kenneth Blank said with a smile on Friday as he claimed his prize at the lottery's main office in Clive.
Blank, 76, of Cincinnati, won a top prize in the Iowa Lottery's “Gem 7s” scratch game. He stopped for gas at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh Express, 607 N. 18th St. in Centerville, an on a whim, bought a ticket in the game.
He checked the ticket using the store's self-checker, and, seeing the prize amount, quickly handed it to store employees for verification.
“I had to hand it to them to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing,” Blank said. “It must've been my lucky day.”
Blank immediately called his wife, Mary, who urged him to double-check the ticket.
“I'm like, 'Are you sure it's right? Are you sure you're looking at it right?'” she recalled with a laugh.
Blank said he plans to use part of his winnings to buy a pickup truck and save and invest the rest.
Gem 7s is a $20 scratch game that features 16 top prizes of $150,000, 16 prizes of $10,000 and overall odds of 1 in 2.52. For more information about this game and the number of prizes still available, visit www.ialottery.com.
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