By Kimberly Gasuras
Local resident Rhonda Rowland walks confidently in her faith in God and said anyone who knows her, knows that she has always had two main goals in life: to one day hear Jesus say, “Come on in,” and to hear George Gray say, “Come on down.”
The second of those two goals became a reality on July 19 when George Gray called her name and told her to come on down to be a contestant on The Price Is Right.
“I was so excited, my legs were shaking. I didn’t know if I was going to make it down to contestants’ row,” said Rowland. “It was like an out-of-body experience.”
Rowland, who went to the show with her son, Trent, won the bid on a wine cellar and made it on stage.
“There was a foosball table and I had to say whether the price was higher or lower. I guessed lower and won it,” said Rowland.
Rowland went on to win an array of Kate Spade handbags and shoes and a laptop computer before guessing more rather than less on a Kia vehicle, but the price was lower.
“It didn’t matter if I won the car or not. I realized my dream of being on the show. A dream I had since I was 7-years-old and would watch the Price Is Right with my grandma, my daddy’s mom,” Rowland said.
The episode in which Rowland appears on the popular TV game show aired Friday morning locally.
“I honestly don’t know what I did or said. It was so surreal,” said Rowland.
Rowland said the studio in which the show is taped is much smaller than it looks on TV.
“Everyone was so sweet to me. Drew Carey talked to me during commercial breaks. He is from Ohio so we talked about that and he loved our shirts that my brother, Earl Musick, had designed,” Rowland said.
Rowland was later informed by the casting director that cameras are on everyone from the time they arrive outside the studio.
“He said I had more enthusiasm about the show than anyone and that it was genuine,” Rowland said.
Rowland said she had made friends with several people during their eight-hour wait to see if they were chosen to go inside the studio for the live taping.
“I met a guy from West Virginia who was there with his daughter, Mariah. His name is John Olsen and he made it on the show too. I had a feeling he would. I also met a young lady in the bathroom that was there with her sisters. They are triplets. I told Trent I felt like she was going to be called down to be a contestant and she was,” Rowland said. “I never dreamed they would call my name but I found out later that it was my sheer enthusiasm and excitement about being there that ultimately made them decide to call me down.”
Rowland watched the episode with her co-workers at Ohio Mutual Insurance Group on Friday. She will pay taxes on the prizes she won and they will be delivered soon since the show has now aired.
“It was an experience of a lifetime,” said Rowland. “I thought a lot about my grandma that day.”