Since retiring as police chief of Sterling, four years ago, one of the things Ronald Groth enjoys is playing lottery tickets. His enjoyment turned to excitement this week when he scratched off a $5,000 winning ticket.
“You know, it didn’t quite register right away that it was a winning ticket,” Groth said. “I had to look at it several times to be sure.”
Groth’s lucky ticket was a $1 instant scratch ticket called “The Duke Dollars.” With a John Wayne theme, it is one of the Lottery’s Veterans Benefit games, in which the proceeds go directly to support Kansas veterans programs.
Groth purchased the ticket at KAPS 1001, located at 100 S. Grand Ave. in Lyons.
“I asked my sister-in-law, who is a clerk at the store, to pull me off five tickets,” he explained. “When she pulled out the five, there were just two more left in the pack, so I told her to give me those, too. I’m sure glad I did, because it was the very last one that was the big winner.”
The win is a timely one for Groth. He says he will probably use part of the prize money to pay income taxes.