It was just one day after April Fools’ Day, but there was no lingering fakery remaining from the jovial day before.
Stacy McCarty was having the dream day of her life in Los Angeles, and what she was about to experience was definitely real. The lucky reading and intervention teacher from Cannonsburg Elementary School heard George Gray say the words she had been waiting so many years to hear: “Stacy McCarty, come on down, you are the next contestant on the ‘The Price Is Right.’” She said it was so loud that you can’t hear your name and, because of that, a sign with your name is held up.
Only about 176 other die-hard fans of the classic show that first aired in 1956 were able to share that joy in Haven Studios, as they high-fived and cheered on McCarty and the other three contestants who kicked off the program shortly after the show’s Cleveland, Ohio-born emcee, Drew Carey, was introduced by Gray, to a raucous cheer of approval from fans hoping to hear their name called next.
One of them was wearing a unique shirt that quipped “PLEASE PICK MY WIFE SO I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO HER FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS.” That gentleman is McCarty’s husband, Joshua McCarty, who is also coach of Boyd County Middle School’s volleyball team. The trip to L.A. was to fulfill Stacy’s longtime wish to be on the show.
“People were taking pictures with us of his shirt! I asked him what he wanted it to say and he was trying to be funny because he knew if I didn’t get picked he’d have to take me back,” McCarty said. Stacy was in her own very cool shirt that said “Y’ALL SHOULD PICK THIS KY GIRL TO COME ON DOWN $ Price Is Right.”
Stacy assists Joshua in coaching the team, and helped their daughter, Karli McCarty, be prepared to play volleyball for the Ashland Tomcats. Karli is 19 now and attends Morehead State University. Somewhat of a rivalry romance began several years ago because Joshua attended Raceland-Worthington High School, and Stacy matriculated at Ashland Blazer.
Ever since about 11:03 a.m. on Thursday when McCarty was shown on CBS hopping out of her seat to play TPIR, the buzz at Cannonsburg Elementary from hyped-up students, teachers and staff about McCarty being on “Price” has been palpable. There was a very energetic watch party at the school.
CES Principal Christy Reliford said of McCarty, “She’s always thinking of the next big thing. She’s very upbeat and personable.” That proved to be obvious the second Gray announced her name, and McCarty began playfully making her way to the spot near the stage to make her first guess on a price.
“I had the best place since I had the last bid,” McCarty said of the first item to be bid on. For those not familiar with TPIR that is because you know what your competitors bid, and you can also bid $1 if you think everyone else’s bid was higher than the retail price. Those bids are disqualified even if they are over by just a penny.
McCarty’s bid was unsuccessful as were her bids on the next few items. She was so anxious to get to the next stage of being a contestant, which is to join Carey on stage and win even more expensive prizes, and she was beginning to fret.
“I was starting to get worried because I hadn’t made it yet. They do six games and I got to play No. 5. It’s so much easier to play when you’re sitting on the couch.” The next time around the package to be bid on was something of which McCarty is an aficionado.
“I saw the purses and l knew those had my name written all over it.” McCarty won the snazzy five-piece upscale set of Furla handbags that retail for $1,280 with a very solid $1,050 bid.
After clearing that hurdle, McCarty found out that she would be playing a game that’s not one of her favorites.
“I was so nervous when I saw the game was ‘Do the Math.’ I told him I teach reading, not math.” McCarty said Carey kept reassuring her that it wasn’t hard.
“I had no idea. My brain just wasn’t comprehending. I looked at the audience and saw them saying minus, so I said that. Luckily I won!”
In “Do the Math,” McCarty won $1,196 in cash, an electric range, a bakeware set, and an assortment of merchandise from Body Glove.
A few minutes later she spun TPIR’s very large wheel to see which player from games four through six would advance to the Showcase Showdown.
“The wheel is so heavy to spin,” McCarty recalled. The contestant that tallies the closest to a dollar on either one or two spins, without going over, advances to the Showcase Showdown. The woman in front of McCarty came up with a .95 tally. The woman after McCarty tallied a perfect $1.00. That is rare itself, but earlier the contestant from games one through three who advanced to the Showcase also came up with a dollar at her turn spinning the wheel. Those two contestants both won extra money for landing on $1.00.
McCarty’s whirlwind day on TPIR was over and her dream was fulfilled and she also had a great day monetarily. Her combined earnings between winning her bid to get on stage, and her winnings in cash and prizes from playing “Do the Math” totaled $8,168. It was quite an unforgettable nice day of work.
