Episode 3

Why did team Forgotten Christmas give the students described as the "poorest of the poor" toys, when they may have other needs?
The contestants were responding directly to the teachers who wrote to us from Velasco Elementary. Their "dream" was for these children to have at least one nice Christmas to remember, which included a present. That's how the idea of a "Forgotten Christmas" started. These teachers wanted to go all out for their students-Santa Claus, tons of toys and all the anticipation and excitement that kids feel on Christmas morning! They asked that their dream come true and that's exactly what the contestants delivered!

How were the schools chosen in Houston?
They were both nominated by teachers. Second-grade teacher Tasha Douglas and first-grade teacher Geraldine Sam wrote in about Simms Elementary. Geraldine told us that the school had been broken into more than 11 times and both teachers said they were in desperate need of a playground-the kids only had a rusty basketball net and were playing on an iron pole! Community volunteers Kay Heath and Kay Cole wrote in from Velasco Elementary, located in one of the poorest cities in the county. They asked that we make their big dream come true of a happy Christmas for all their students!

Why was Carlana eliminated from this episode?
We've heard from a lot of you about this elimination. I agree it was a tough one. I hated to see Carlana go. She was such an inspiration, so full of heart and was a fantastic addition to Oprah's Big Give. However, the producers had absolutely no influence on the judge's decision. After a long deliberation-I think it lasted for over an hour-the judges unanimously decided that Carlana was the right choice. Do you agree?

Doesn't having a celebrity make it easier to give back?
Sure it does. But that really isn't the point. The point is to give!

In this episode we felt including the athletes would also make it more fun for the children. Both Tony Hawk and Andre Agassi gave such a boost to these kids. A number of them said things like, "Wow, I can't believe these big stars would care about us!" Both Andre and Tony are big givers in their own lives and it was great they pitched in.

Did former President George Bush really randomly walk through the tennis center?
Yes, we were totally surprised, and shocked-and kept the cameras rolling the whole time. He was coming to the tennis event that day and our contestants told him about the school they were helping. His son Neil Bush donated a "curriculum on wheels" for the Simms school.

How did they build the playground so fast-and why didn't we see it on TV?
As you saw in the episode, the contestants raised the money for the playground, but the contestants did not build or install the playground. Cameras were focused on what the contestants did-so we did not show the playground being built. But as you saw, the students love their new playground!

Who wrapped all the presents at the Forgotten Christmas reveal?
The contestants were able to get help from the school workers, the community, and Tony Hawk fans to get all the presents wrapped and ready for the big "One, two three-turnaround!" reveal moment. They all worked through the night to pull this off.