Fort Scott man wins big with instant scratch ticket

Carey Lockwood, left, and wife Connie proudly hold a check for $20,000 presented by The Kansas Lottery. Lockwood won the money by revealing all 10 words on a $2 Holiday Crossword instant scratch ticket. (Photo courtesy of The Kansas Lottery)

A Fort Scott resident is getting a brighter Christmas this year thanks to a $2 instant scratch ticket.

Carey Lockwood scratched off all 10 words needed on a $2 Holiday Crossword instant scratch ticket to win the $20,000 grand prize. He said he had to check the ticket about eight times to make sure he did not make any mistakes.

"I was pretty excited, I've never won anything that big," he said.

Lockwood said he revealed the first five or six words when he noticed some letters he overlooked. He kept scratching until the 10th word was revealed when he said to himself, "I got this ... I got it."

After taxes are taken out, Lockwood will receive about $14,000, about which he remains humble and positive.

"I won a little cash," he said. "It better than a stab in the eye."

Lockwood said he has won money with the lottery in the past, but nothing this large. He said he had won $2,000 on a $2 Bonus Crossword ticket and $3,311 playing KENO. Since winning the $2,000 prize Lockwood said he has scratched tickets about two or three times per week.

"If I was to figure out what I've spent and what I've won ... I'd say I'm a ways ahead now," he said.

As for spending the money, Lockwood has a plan. Aside from paying some bills and helping with Christmas, he said he plans to build a porch on the back of his house and possibly purchase an all-terrain vehicle.

"I that will pretty well eat it all up," Lockwood said. "I don't think the kids will get a ton of it, to put it that way."

When asked if he told many people of his winnings, Lockwood said, "I didn't have to, it got around pretty well on it's own ... it spread like wild fire."

The winning ticket was purchased at Pump N Pete's of Fort Scott, located at 1920 S. Main in Fort Scott.