A local resident received some much needed good news today. Shelly Anderson of Plainville was one of 40 winners in the KS lottery’s second chance drawing. The drawing was for a V.I.P. Racing Experience prize package to the Kansas Speedway this fall.
According to a press release from the KS Lottery, “Each V.I.P. Racing Experience prize package includes two tickets for the October 4-6 ARCA and NASCAR races at Kansas Speedway; one double occupancy hotel room for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; transportation between the hotel and track; food and other amenities at the Kansas Lottery hospitality chalet; $400 cash; and state and federal income withholding taxes; bringing the total value of each prize package to approximately $4,450.”
This news comes just 4 days after Shelly’s two-story home southeast of Plainville burned down and her boyfriend was critically injured escaping the blaze.
Anderson told Hays Post that the three people in her home (herself, her son, and her boyfriend Matt Hrabe) didn’t have much time to react to the fire that morning, and Hrabe suffered severe injuries escaping.
“The house was totally engulfed in flames. Matt and I were trapped in our bedroom upstairs; there’s three windows in that bedroom. I found a small window, I crawled out of it. My son was on the outside and I jumped off the second story to him and he broke the fall, caught me. Matt found another window that we had a window unit, air conditioner in it. And he couldn’t get that, trying to push it out. It was panic, we were going to die in there. Basically, it looks like from his injuries he rammed into it with his shoulder and it fell from the second story and landed on railroad ties down below that we have around the garden.”
Hrabe suffered a broken neck, broken collar bone, three broken ribs and a broken leg. Anderson said that as of today, he was able to sit in a chair and was able to eat some pudding.
Many people are coming together to support the family as they move forward with healing and rebuilding. Saturday August 31st the Wild West Saloon is hosting a prime rib dinner to be served by the Plainville football boys (including Anderson’s son Nick Wilkerson, a junior at Plainville High School) and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the family. Jenny Plante said she plans on donating 25% of her proceeds from 5pm – 10pm.
“Anything people order will go towards the family. They’re a neat family and I just wanted to help them out. Paige (her daughter) works here. This town is a wonderful community: when someone needs help, they pull together. I speak from experience: when I was battling cancer 6 years ago they pulled together to help through similar benefits. It’s just nice to give back.”
John Stahl of Stahl products said his company will match that 25% donation, saying “These small communities, we need to stick together.” He also said that though Anderson and her son are part of his extended family, the entire community is very close and act like a large family, helping each other out when they can.
Janiece Cook, owner of Cookie’s liquor, said that her store will also happily match the 25% donations as well to provide assistance to the family.
The prime rib benefit dinner is at Wild West Saloon in Plainville Saturday August 31st from 5pm – 10pm.
As far as winning the lottery drawing, Anderson said that she usually never buys a ticket, but she was talked into it this one time. She added that she and Matt (who are both ardent Nascar fans) will definitely have something to look forward to now.