‘Same old Spoony’ | $1M lottery winner plans to keep farming despite big win

Published 1:21 pm Monday, April 23, 2018

Aron Taylor, also known as Spoony, is a farmer.

That’s all he’s done, and all he will ever do, he said.

Even if he did win a million bucks, nothing is going to change.

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Taylor, 24, said he has lived and farmed in Winchester for about four years, though he grew up in and around Fayette and Woodford  counties.

“Farming is a lifestyle,” he said. “I’m out here every day taking care of these cows.”

April 16, Taylor made a stop at Gasoline Alley on April Way.

He had finished his work on the farm on the cold, snowy Monday. To cure his boredom, he purchased a roll of $25 Millionaire Jumbo Bucks scratch-off tickets, which is nothing unusual.

Almost every day, he stops in Gasoline Alley and buys a scratch-off, Taylor said.

But Monday, he was lucky.

The first ticket was a $100 winner.

The second ticket was a loser. But the third time was a charm.

Montu Patel, manager at Gasoline Alley, sold the ticket to Taylor. He scanned it and saw it registered for more than $5,000, which exceeds the cash limit for payouts.

Patel excitedly handed the ticket back to Taylor to scratch the numbers.

Finally, he got to the third number, 20, and Patel and Taylor realized just how much Taylor had won.

Later that day, Taylor got a ride to Louisville to collect his winnings, opting for the 20-year payout plan.

“It’s not gonna change me a bit,” Taylor said. “I’m still gonna be the same old Spoony.”

Taylor said he’s worked hard all his life and was doing fine before winning such a significant amount of money.

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done it on my own,” he said.

Kentucky Lottery spokesman Chip Polston said the Winchester win was the first $1 million winning ticket in the Millionaire Jumbo Bucks game.

There are still two $1 million top prizes available in the game, which is on sale now at Kentucky Lottery retailers.

Tickets for the game sell for $25 each.

Patel said the store has also sold multiple $200 winners in the Millionaire Jumbo Bucks game as well as several $200 winners for other Kentucky Lottery scratch-off games.

Taylor said he plans on staying in Winchester, farming and growing his operation.

He said he would likely keep playing lottery games. Taylor also won a few $200 prizes on scratch-off tickets later that week.

He said he loses more often than wins and doesn’t encourage people to buy as much as he does.

“Tell people not to go buy the tickets,” he said.

But every cent he won is going back to the farm, Taylor said.

And as for winning a million bucks, nothing’s going to change.

“It is what it is,” he said.

About Lashana Harney

Lashana Harney is a reporter for The Winchester Sun. Her beats include schools and education, business and commerce, Winchester Municipal Utilities and other news. To contact her, email lashana.harney@winchestersun.com or call 859-759-0015.

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