An Ellsworth man has won a big lottery prize.

According to the Kansas Lottery, Alan Marez and his family hopped for joy Easter morning when they discovered Marez had won a $10,000 lottery prize.

“We went to Easter sunrise service,” said the 71-year-old Ellsworth resident. “I had purchased a $2 scratch ticket the night before, which I then scratched right after we got home.”

Marez said he was incredibly excited after finding a $10,000 top prize on his $2 Joker’s Wild ticket. “I was so nervous I was shaking. Then I got worried about what I was going to do with it until I came to Topeka.”

Marez ended up stashing the ticket in his wife’s purse where “it stayed very safe.” Marez told Lottery officials he was going to share his prize with his family. “Everybody will get a share,” he said happily.

Although Marez is officially retired, he is the full-time curator at the Kanopolis Fort Harker Museum, a job he really enjoys.

“We’ve had visitors from all over, including Russia and the U.K.,” said Marez. “I lived in the Kanopolis area most of my life so I really enjoy showing people the fort and the museum.”

Marez also really enjoys playing lottery, which he intends to keep doing. “Just because I won doesn’t mean I won’t win again – I might win even more next time!”

Marez purchased his lucky Joker’s Wild ticket at Casey’s General Store 2562, located at 1420 Foster Road in Ellsworth. There is one top prize of $10,000 remaining in the game, along with tens of thousands of other cash prizes.