September 14, 2008
Oprah Winfrey Celebrates 22th Season with Car Giveaways
Television host Oprah Winfrey had a surprise for the 276 members of her studio audience when she opened the latest season of her daytime talk show on Monday — she gave them all new cars. The $7 million giveaway came courtesy of General Motors, which provided the free Pontiac G6 sports sedans, a new line of cars, as part of a promotional deal with Winfrey’s Chicago-based show, a spokeswoman for her Harpo Productions said. The automotive handout introduced a “Wildest Dreams Come True” theme for the 19th season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which has reigned as the top daytime talk programs in U.S. syndication since its debut in 1986. “No dream is too wild, no surprise too impossible to pull off,” Winfrey said during the telecast.
The show opened with Winfrey calling 11 members of the audience to the stage and surprising them with the new car. She then handed out gift boxes to the rest of the audience, saying one of them contained the keys to a 12th free car. At the count of three, the boxes were opened all at once, revealing to shrieks of delight that everyone had won a set of keys.
Winfrey then led the ecstatic crowd outside the studio to a parking lot filled with G6s topped with big red bows. Each member of the audience was instructed to contact a Pontiac representative to personally customize the actual cars they will receive, allowing them to choose the color and features that come with a fully loaded model.
“We’ve never done a giveaway like this before,” Harpo spokeswoman Carly Ubersox told Reuters.
She said most members of the audience had been specially selected from letters sent in advance by viewers on behalf of themselves, friends or family who were in need of a new car. But the audience members were kept in the dark about the nature of the show until it was taped.
Winfrey also gave away a four-year college scholarship, $10,000 wardrobe and make-over to a young woman who spent her teen years in foster care and homeless shelters. And a family with eight foster children was presented with a new houseful of furniture and electronics plus a $130,000 check to cover their mortgage and home repairs.
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Stella
07/18/2009 at 3:08 am
Hi Oprah, Like a lot of people I am very much in need for a car, with my income I can not afford to make payments, social security does not go very far. I really would love a Van or SUV so I can haul my gran kids around and family dog. I did have a pretty nice SUV up until last year, I let my son borrow it and he had it for several months in LA, CA and unfortunately he unintentionally let it get towed away and the City of Los Angeles sold it, not only was it parked in a permit area, but he had tons of citations on it. With no funds I could not afford to retrieve my car, it has been towed for about two months before he had the nerve to tell me. I learned a very hard lesson, do not loan your only vehicle to your kids. Oprah your are an amazing lady, I really love what you do for people.
lashawn rutherford
07/22/2009 at 9:59 am
Hi oprah my name is lashawn Iam a mothr of two and grandmother of two iam disabled and not able to work my ssi check does”nt cover much of anything iam also divorce going on 13years but trying to do what is right sometime it is hard to explan to your child that they can”t be in certain sports and attend certain events because mommy does”nt have a car or mommy does:nthave any money but i do my best i just keep telling her things well get better when she ask me mom whyt we don”t g on any vacations she said i know because we don”t have money andwe don”t have a car sometimes it makes me cry but i keep telling myself things well get better just believe God will take care of us ophra you had a show on in the year of 88or early 89 and i think there was three women or four on the show who were dscussing what they uncles had done to them i was 21 yars old and that”s when i relize what i had to go through for 8 years now knowing that this was abuse and was wrong thinks for helping me thank you so much for givin me this time to apply for a chance to receive a car and maybe a vacation for me and my daghter.
Nolan A
08/23/2009 at 6:25 am
Hi,
Is this the LaShawn Rutherford from Southern California who had 2 boys back in 1988 and we dated off and on for over a year – more on than off. See pictures on facebook photo page. Search on facebook for “Nolan Apostle”, become a Fan so you can have full access to view all images. Love to connect with you if same LaShawn.
Nolan
rebecca green
08/16/2009 at 2:58 pm
Hi mrs.oprah winfrey um my name is rebecca green and i am18 yrs old my family holds 6 of us kids and they all got a chance to recieve a car by their 16th-18th birthdays and im the youbgest of 6. I am trying to go to college and do something better with mylife but my family cant help me out @ all because of their struggles. and in order to pay the rest of my college funds i have to get me a job and i want to so i can begin my future whileim still young and adventerous but i have a little problem i dont havea carto get me tto and from my job or to my college which is 4 hours away from where i live and ifGod blesses melike he doesat his best i just hope and pray that u can truly help me out. ive never done this before but this was kinda my last option beforei completely fall so ifu could please help me out i would truly spirtually and emotionally appreciate it so God bless u for every thing that u ever do for your family on this earth
julie frasier
08/16/2009 at 11:05 pm
hi oprah, my name is julie. we live in louisiana-east carroll parish, a place called lake providence. this place is the worst parish in the state of louisiana, as far as jobs and good schools. my brother is very much in need of a car. it does not have to be a new one, just something that will get him back and forth to pay his bills and visit our mothers burial site. he is unemployed, but has a wife and 2 sons who are handicapped. they live off of ssi checks which are not much. they also receive food stamps to help them out. i try to help them as much as i can. but we to have a hard time, but have more than they do. my brother has tried to get help, but is turned down each time he files for disability. he too is not healthy. it would answer my prayers if he could receive any kind of help. i have read how you help people in need and it would be so nice if my brother could be one of those people. so please if you can,please help him. i thank you so much for reading this. yours truly julie
tinisha marshall
08/20/2009 at 11:25 am
hi oprah, my name tinisha i live n tallahassee florida im 18 year old n i was thankn could u help me get my own place n get me a car cause witout a car it not easy getn arround esspecial wen u have a job n u allway be late so please help me.i thank u so much for reading dis. yours truly tinisha love u oprah
Ruben Rodriguez
08/26/2009 at 4:06 pm
Hi Oprah, My Name Is Ruben Rodriguez I live In McHenry Illinois. And I”am Wounder If I Can Get Some Help, Well Oprah, Here It Is At 51 Years Old It’s Hard When People Lose Their Job’s, Well I Have Lost My Job. My Caravan Has Took It’s Last Drive To The Junk Yard. Is There Any Way You Can Us With A New Caravan My Family And Myself Would Be So Grateful If You Could Help Us Oprah.Our Address Is 4014 West Kane Ave Apt 1 McHenry Illinois 60050. 1-815-385-4354 Please Consider Our Plea For Help.
God Bless You!!
Thank You, Rodriguez Family
Tameka
08/30/2009 at 9:49 pm
Hi Oprah, I am Tameka Jameson. Ive just turned 20 yrs old on August 11 and since ive been old enough to drive a motor vehicle- my passion for cars began. I attend the University of Miami on a full Track and Field scholarship. Although the first couple of lines of this letter may seem all handy dandy, heres where my lifes gets split in half- I have a twin sister. She also attends the University of Miami on a full Track and Field scholarship. I love her to death, but we both can agree that its not always fun having to split or share things of our own likings. My mom is a single parent of 3 children. My sister and I (20yrs old) and my little brother Lovance (8yrs old). My mother makes below to average income financially for the amount of children she has to raise, although my sister and I resided in miami for the past 2 yrs things still get costly for my mom. My father lives 30mins away from me. He has a stable household with a wonderful girlfriend and their child- my little brother Vincent (7yrsold). My dads family Bar-B-Q shack burned to the ground about 2 yrs ago and since then he hasnt been able to consistently provide for us like he would like to. He had to sell his rims just to buy my sister and I a car that could get us from point A to point B for a while.We agreed to pay insurance on the car since my dad went through the hassel fixinf nicks and nacks on the car and thigns that needed major repair.We are very greatful for what we have but I wish there were other options for my parents and my sibilings and myself. Ive longed for a fancy car I could feel good in and a sport around- that proves my family is stable and I fit in with every other luxury car around miami’s campus. but that just isnt the case. if there is anything you can do to help feel free to email me. thanks oprah, i appreciate you.
Nelda & Fred Martinez
09/02/2009 at 4:19 pm
Hello Ms. Oprah: Both my husband and I are disabled on social security and not really making it, however we are alive because we live in JesusChrist we are new born Christians and the Lord helps us every day. My son is in College in Austin and rides a bike to school he also has financial difficulties. My husband sometimes rides a bike and we ride the bus to get groceries and to doctor and medicines–may the Lord Bless You for all the dontations youve done to all poor people. We are praying to the Lord for a vehicle for us and one for my son and for a computer–right now we took the bus to the community public library in Brownsville, Texas. My address is 1711 S. Indiana FM511 in Brownsville, Texas 78521 and my phone number is 956 2034353. Love in Chirst always.
Shannon Slawson
09/03/2009 at 6:25 pm
“I feel so very all alone like I’ve been left for dead on a deserted Island” I need a rescue crew to find me and save me! Where do I begin? How did I get here? I got divorced and now my bills are more than my pay check every month. I have no way to get ahead to afford a vehicle payment. I borrow my mother’s car to go back and fourth to work on leaving her without a vehicle everyday. She really needs to have a way to go everyday. She has to call me at work to pick her up if something goes wrong with my son. This puts me in a situation where I must leave work to give her the car. I also do not have any credit due to the divorce and getting behind on payments. I can’t even purchase a car or have anyone sign with me. My father fell and this caused a blood clot in his brain. He could no longer work for a while causing my parents to fall into financial ruin. They can barely pay their bills and any extra money I can spare goes to them. I’m in desparate need of a vehicle because my mother’s car broke down yesterday. I found out that it will cost 1000.00 to fix it. I will not be able to ever get that much extra money to have it fixed due to my financial situation. I borrowed a truck today but want be able to borrow it long. I’m basically in a desparate situation and am begging for help getting a vehicle to save my job. If I do not get one soon I want be able to go to work.
Seeking help
Shannon Slawson
Sharon Gibson
09/07/2009 at 9:12 am
Hi Oprah, my name is Sharon. I have never asked for help like this before. I am 51 year old divorced woman with 3 children. One is 27 year old girl named Sam with 2 boys of her own. I have two children still at home with me. One is a junior in high school(Zack) and the other one is in college through financial aide(Nick). I need a car bad. I was trying to get my car fixed and it caught on fire. My older sister which lives next door has been taking me to work for the last month and a half. Which this is getting hard on her. I can not afford payments on a car. I have worked my whold life. Done things for myself. I have my own garden to help with food here, cause boys sure do eat alot. I have alot of bills, which is nobody’s fault but my own. I live paycheck to paycheck. I can never get ahead. I live in Indiana, which you know winters are bad. I live in the country. Sometimes it is really hard keeping things together. But for some reason I don’t seem to get depressed. I keep telling the boys things will get better and I believe they will. My sister next door is on disability, she bought our grandparents house. I bought my our parents house. The house is not in the best of shape, but we get by. This is a good invironment to raise my children. I don’t ask for much try to do things for myself. But I realy need a car. My sister has to take me to work and my son to college. I love my job and do not want to lose it, but I do not know how much longer my sister can do this for us. If nothing comes of this it was good to get it off of my chest.
Thank you
sharon
Angela Dunn
09/14/2009 at 8:05 pm
HI OPRAH
Angela Dunn
09/14/2009 at 8:48 pm
HELLO OPRAH ,I WATCHES YOUR SHOW EVERYDAY AT 4PM IN LOUISBURG NORTH CAROLINA.I WAS TRYING TO ENTER YOUR CAR GIVEAWAY I DIDN’T KNOW HOW.THE REASON IWAS IS BECAUSE I HAVEAN SICK HUSBAND WITH WITH UNCURABLE CANCER.OUR CAR BLEW UP AND IDON’T HAVE ANY MONEY TO BUY ANOTHER.HE WAS GIVEN6 MONTHS TO LIVE .MY IS ANGELA DUNN HIS WIFE HIS SOLE CARE GIVER.HE HAS PANCREA CANCER THAT HAVE SPREAD TO HIS LIVER AND STOMACH.WE ARE IN OF SOME HELP FINIAL AND ALL.IF YOU KNOW OF ANY RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP ME PLEASE LET KNOW.YOU CAN REACH ME AT 1-919-853-3027 OR 1-919-497-4039. I ALSO HAS A VERY DAUGTHER ALSO SHE HAS TWO KIDS AND HAS BEEN OUT WORK SHE HAS A CAR THAT HER STUDS KEEPING COMING OFF AND HER TIRE COMES OFF THE SHE DONE HAD IT FIX LIKE 4 TIMES.SHE HAD TWO OPERATIONS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS SHE IS VERY SICK.MY MOM HAS THE SAME DIEASE AS BERNIE MACK .AND I TRY TO BE THERE FOR THEM ALL .MY GRANDSONS NAME IS TARIQ AND ELIJAH THEY ARE 11 -7.IF YOU CANHELP PLEASE DO.I’M JUST 43 AND FEEL LIKE I’M AN HUNDRED AT TIMES .I SUFFER WITH DIABETES.I NEED YOUR OR SOOMEONE.THIS NOT AWANT THIS IS TRUE NEEDS.GOD BLESS YOU AND THE SHOW . TTHANK YOU ANGELA DUNN MY ADDRESS IS 6423 NC HWY 56 EAST CASTALA, NC 27816 UNTIL OCT, 1,2009 THEN IT WILL BE 152 ROBERT SLEDGE RD BUNN NC27508 MY DAUG.NAME IS TINA MOTHER ANNIE MITCHELL.IM SORRY I WROTE SO MUCH I HAD TO GET IT TO SOMEONE.
Janae
09/29/2009 at 2:11 am
Still waiting to visit your show.
Josie Whitmore
10/02/2009 at 9:16 pm
Hi Mrs Oprah my name is Jozie and I live in Utah now. I moved here because i thought it was the best place to raise my children. I was working for a company for almost 11 years years now.I was promised to get transfered when i get to Utah but instead they blow me off. I had Nissan Pathfinder which was perfect for me and my two beautiful girls and i lost it because i couldnt afford it anymore. We got kicked out of our apartment because i couldnt make any payment. My boyfriend has a job now but just enough for us to get by. But we still cant afford to buy a car. I cant get a job right now because i just had a baby and i dont have a car to go anywhere. My kids and I stay home a lot because of not having a vehicle. I didnt think i was going to loose my job after being there for so long. Eventhough i have been looking for a job no one would want to hire me the fact that i dont have any vehicle at all.
All my family and friends are in California. I would love to visit them especiallly one of my friend for 10 years is dying from pancreatic cancer. She just found out couple days ago that she has 6 to 12 months to live. Its really sad for me she was like a mother to me. She treated me like her own daughter. Mrs Oprah as much as i would love to see her i have no way of getting to California. No car and no income coming in it’s just makes it hard for me and my kids.
Sometimes i just ask myself of what im doing wrong. I pray to God that i will hope and find a way to see her before she pass away or i can never forgive myself. I want to make a better living for me and my kids but it’s hard to do that now when i cant find a job.
I heard so much about your show and i thought its unreal but when i start watching your show it amaze me how you can helo so much people in need. You are so good to people and your like heaven sent. God Bless you Mrs oprah
emmanuel
10/04/2009 at 3:46 am
Hi oprah, how are you? I love seeing your shows every day and week. I am 18 years old and just started college at CSUB. I will be studying to become a social worker because I love to help people with any problems whether personal, social, or family. I have recently come into a problem and am in need of a vehicle to get me to college and back. I have been using my moms truck but with our different time schedules its been tough to switch back and forth, i know my mom is doing the best she can to help me and i dont want to continue adding stress on her by asking for a car. I have asked my dad(-not my biological father but he raised me since i was a baby-) if i could use one of his vehicles but he doesn’t help me and tells me that he will find me another car, and he has tried but all the vehicles he finds have major problems and will breakdown the first day i use it. I understand that i am not his biological son and he is not legally resposible for me but all i want a car for is to go to college and make something of my self. I was born in mexico city but my mother wanted better for me and my brother so she sacrificed her self for me and my brother by marrying someone she didnt love and who was 20 years older than her. After ten years of marriage. they divorced and she was left raising me and my brother by herself with no money. my dad had kicked her out on the street with nothing. she, my brother and i lived with a friend of hers for a couple months and then she saved enough to rent a place.she used to be a manager of a restaurant and worked 14 to18 hours a day just so that we could have a decent life. she is currently working part time(3 and a half) for a highschool with special needs and her new husband was laid off a year ago and is now working for a navy base, but money is still short. what has been helping us get by are my stepdads parents. as the days pass by i feel more and more wanting to drop out of school so i dont cause any more stress on my mom by using her vehicle since she has been arriving late for work because i use her truck for school. I really dont know what else i can do, i am at my final options. any advice from you would be a great help.
Judy Burton for Darlene Vaughan
10/08/2009 at 4:34 am
Dear Ms Oprah:
I am writing this email in behalf my sister, Darlene Vaughan who lives in New Plymouth, Idaho. First, I have praying for an opportunity to find a way to bless my sister with a new car. I hope you may be able help. She and her husband are both on social security so money is tight and her husband is not always able to fix her car. This last summer her air conditioner and other repairs on her car were needed, but it was never done. She is involved in her church alot and tries to visit her dad who is 84 yrs old and not well in Boise, Idaho. She has always wanted A Nissan Pathfinder – The name Pathfinder reminds her of the parth to Jesus Christ. She has a car which old and not dependable. I would like her visit dad more and never worry about a car for the rest of life. She has always put others first. She is a great sister and rarely gets any thing new. My prayer is that she will be blessed with a new car. May God Bless You and thank you. Judy
Tanya
10/09/2009 at 9:04 pm
I would be so happy to have a little silver put put!
I paid a lot of money to help my Pakistani Husband to come to America. He came here and didn’t want to pay a penny to get me out of debt. I ended up losing the car I co-sign for him and my car because I couldn’t keep the payments. After the divorce, my ex husband left the country and left me with his debt and I ended up filing bankrupty. I have no car and no car dealership will not deal with me. Help me and my 11 year old son, because we seriously need a ride! Thanks for your support and consideration in advance.
It is too far to walk to work and school.
tina
10/15/2009 at 1:33 pm
dear Mrs. Oprah,
i know you get these letters and emails daily and i am not even sure you get to read it. i have followed your show for years and thought many times of asking you for help. i am not actually asking for myself but for my husband.
he i a soldier with the 101st airborne in Ft.Campbell,KY. you been here a few years ago and gave away stuff for babies and pregnant women..lol
anyways, we bought a house and i guess we got over our head with it. now we lost our car bc we cannot afford to get it repaired, yes there is AER(army emergency relief), but we had already used it 3 month ago to get the transmission fixed. i will be losing my job if we cannot get transportation… is there anywaythat you would be able to help us out?
thank you
tina blackwell
Donna Walker
10/15/2009 at 9:08 pm
Dear Oprah,
I am a 48 Year old Woman who has been struggling since My tragic Semi wreck in 99, I have lost my only child to my ex husband in a child custody battle, a Divorce, Burnt over 40% of my body. I have Lost my Independence and had to move back in with My Father in 2007, Since then I have not got out much, due to I can not afford to get a Car, I have been trying to get a Geo Tracker on the road, but with Limited funds, and Oklahoma Child Support taking it out of my soul Income of SSDI, I am left with barely a little over $600.00 a month that it’s…
I am grateful that I have a home to live in with my Father, if it not been for Him. I seriously Do not know where I would be, I mainly stay in my bedroom so I am not in His way a lot. I would be grateful to You and Your Help with a Vehicle to get me out to at least go shopping.
Thank You ,
Stranded in Pa
Chris Rueter
10/26/2009 at 1:01 am
Hi Oprah. I am 20 years old. I have a fiance and a 4 month old son and we just moved to Califronia from Missouri. I dont make much money and we are in dire need of a car! It does’nt even matter what kind it is, just something to take my son to his appointments and to go shopping and maybe go to the park with my family! We’ve been in California for about 3 weeks now and have’nt been abel to do anything because we dont have a vehicle. It would be really sweet of you to help us out!
Sincerely, Chris Rueter
Sherry Clark
10/27/2009 at 3:01 am
Dear Oprah,
I want the American dream, for my daughter Kayla. I have made my fair share of mistakes in my life and I finally I got it right. Today, I have a 17 year old daughter who is graduating from High School soon and wants to go to college. I cannot help her. I am almost 9 months pregnant, am in poor health and on Medicaid. I have no home of my own and I am the product of bad choices for many years. I turned my life around but I want my daughter to have a chance to do a better job of her life than I did with mine. If it weren’t for my Mom who never gave up on me, I wouldn’t be writing you today. Please consider some kind of help for Kayla and Thank You for listening to me. Sincerely Sherry Clark