Episode 2
How did the three guys raise $293,000 in less than 48 hours?
I don't think anyone can determine how this was done by watching the show. All I saw of those three guys was them sitting around a table with a few other people making phone calls.

Stephen, Cameron and Eric were very smart. They enlisted the help of the staff of the Denver Children's Home during their 48 hour challenge, so they had a group of people working to raise as much money and goods as fast as they could! The grand total of $293,000 was not representative of only cash donations, rather it was the total value of the cash, supplies and services donated by both individuals and local organizations. While we couldn't possibility include all of their phone calls and other efforts to raise money during the hour long episode, you are still able to see where the majority of the money comes from. In the scene where Stephen and Cameron are sitting around a table with the staff members, Cameron announces that they just raised $10,000 as Eric walks in with the donated soccer equipment. Then, Stephen gets off the phone with Rainbow Play Systems, Inc., who agreed to donate more than $20,000 worth of playground equipment. Cameron counts $4,100 in checks and secures $2,300 worth of irrigation equipment. Also, a staff member secured a $5,000 donation over the phone, and at the reveal you see $25,000 worth of furniture donated to the home, $14,000 worth of lighting and Stephen announces that contractors will be donating their time, material and labor for the renovations. Add in the value of the two Ford cars, which totaled more than $70,0000, and the $4,800 each contestant was given, and the total is already more than $200,000! You can also check out the deleted scene of Eric, Cameron and Stephen collecting donations at the Denver Nuggets game, where 20,000 people showed up!

How did Kim end up on the radio station?
I thought it was a great idea and showed a lot of ingenuity for Kim to get on the radio. Kim has great, energetic personality. When she called the radio station in Denver, she was able to convince them to help her get their listeners to donate gifts to the Boys & Girls Club. Sometimes, it really is as easy as asking people to help you. Remember, the contestants could not use Oprah's name. See contest rules for more on that topic.

How did Carlana raise the money for the Cobb family?
Carlana reached out to family, friends and their contacts in Denver to raise money for the Cobb family. There were two checks presented at Carlana's reveal. The $5,000 check was from the Denver housing development, Landmark, to which she was connected through a friend in Denver. The second check for $5,850 was raised through Carlana's personal contacts and strangers she ran into throughout that 48-hour challenge. That check also included the $4,800 that was given to her by Oprah's Big Give at the start of the episode.


Were the contestants really on their own?
YES. YES. YES. Nate handed them the cash, and off they went. Period. The end. No help was given. And YES YES YES, Carlana really did meet Roger randomly on the street, just as you saw on the show. That made me cry and made me realize, once again, that everyone has a story.

Who paid the taxes on the cars?
Not only did we give away the cars, but we had the taxes on each car paid for! We made sure that the car was in fact a gift-with no strings attached. And talk about giving big, we hear the Denver Children's Home traded in their two cars and got a 15-passenger van, a pickup truck and a Ford Taurus! Now they can really get the kids where they need to go! We think that was a fantastic way to use their Big Give for something even bigger!

How did Angelo find Jason?
The American Legion gave Angelo Jason's name when he asked for suggestions for someone in need of a Big Give.

We didn't see all of the contestants give their cars away. What about the rest of the cars?
This episode was so packed with great stories that, unfortunately, there was no way for us to include all of the car giveaways in the hour format! But we don't want you to miss out on what we weren't able to include, so we're putting two of the never-before-seen car giveaways as bonus footage on Oprah.com and ABC.com. You'll see what happens when Rachael surprises Steven Saiz, a longtime worker for the Empowerment Program. It was a great moment, and we're so sorry it didn't make the show. Kim gave her car to a man who has since passed away after a long battle with lung cancer. As for Eric's car, we did all we could, but the person he chose did not have a driver's license and had prior incidents. We gave her a chance to get a new license and clear her record, but she didn't follow up, so we couldn't give her the car. Again, we had hoped to include everything, but we could not because of limited time in the show and other issues.

What is the Big Give challenge next week?
Next Sunday: A new city, a new challenge and only eight contestants are left. More than 1,000 children are depending on them to make big dreams come true! Superstars Andre Agassi and Tony Hawk make surprise appearances and put the pressure on! They'll have just a few days, limited cash and a monumental challenge. Can they do it? Here's some inside scoop: Things start to unravel as two contestants go head-to-head, and serious doubt arises as to whether they can really pull it off. I was concerned they might blow the whole thing. Keep watching, and look out for a controversial elimination. This is one of my very favorite episodes. I know Nate says it's in his top two.