As a part of the Treasurer's "Route 36 Returns" tour, Treasurer McKinney and staff traveled through Concordia, Phillipsburg, Smith Center, Mankato, Washington, and Belleville talking about and searching for resident's unclaimed property.

"We encouraged everyone in the areas that we visited to stop by and check their name and the names of family and friends," said McKinney. "In this economy everyone could use a little help and we feel it's important to be sure that these resources get back to the rightful owners. The Route 36 Returns Tour was a wonderful opportunity for us to connect Kansans with cash and property currently being held by our office," McKinney explained.

Unclaimed property includes inactive savings and checking accounts, uncashed checks, stock shares and bonds, dividend checks, insurance proceeds, mineral royalties, and utility deposits.

In addition to cash, stocks and bonds, safe deposit boxes are also turned over to the State Treasurer's office on an annual basis. There are currently over 15,718 safe deposit box properties on file. Approximately 600 new boxes are turned over to the treasurer's office each year.

"It is my job to reunite Kansans with their unclaimed financial assets," McKinney explained. "Reaching out to people in their hometowns is a great way to give back to Kansans what is rightfully theirs."

Making a claim is free and easy. There are no fees involved in searching for or claiming cash and property. To search, a last name is required and a first name is recommended.

Kansans who aren't along Route 36 can call the State Treasurer's office at 1-800-432-0386 or log onto www.KansasCash.com to search for unclaimed property. The Treasurer is planning additional tours in other areas of the state.