Tama Woman Wins $25,000 Lottery Prize
Rhonda Lenhart Claims Big Prize In 'Holiday Wishes' Scratch Game
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CLIVE, Iowa — A Tama woman said her husband didn't believe her after she scratched off a $25,000 prize.
Rhonda Lenhart, 61, won a top prize in the Iowa Lottery's "Holiday Wishes" scratch ticket. She bought her winning ticket at Fareway, 1005 S. County Road in Toledo.
"I think I sat there and looked at it like it's not real for about 10 minutes," she told officials after claiming her prize at the lottery's Cedar Rapids regional office.
She took the ticket home to show her husband, Nick, who was skeptical.
"I said, 'Nick, look! It's real!'" she recalled with a laugh. "So he took it and looked at it and said, 'Oh, you better go into town and check it.'"
They took the ticket to a store in town to verify the win on the store's lottery terminal.
"We went in and checked it, but we didn't cash it until after the first of the year," Lenhart said. "We wanted to finish up our Christmas and stuff."
Lenhart claimed her prize on Monday. She said she plans to share her winnings with her husband and seven grandchildren.
Holiday Wishes was a $20 scratch game with a holiday theme. It began sales in October and ended Jan. 5 after the conclusion of the holiday season. For more information about Iowa Lottery scratch games, visit www.ialottery.com.
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