A spur-of-the-moment trip to Target last week for one East Granby mom resulted in an unexpected reward — tickets to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”.
On Wednesday, Amanda Paskiewicz Cormier took her two daughters to the Windsor Target and spotted folks lining up to take pictures of themselves sitting in the infamous red chairs from the set of the DeGeneres show. (The show’s set has been redecorated with new white seating and the red chairs are on a special farewell tour across the country.)
“It was just a fluke. I had no idea what was going on,” says Paskiewicz Cormier. “I’m in Target several times a week. It’s an easy way to get out of the house when you have two kids.”
When told that pictures could be posted on DeGeneres show’s website or Instagram account for a chance to win a trip to be in the audience during one of Ellen’s 12 Days Of Giveaway shows, Paskiewicz Cormier sat 3-year-old McKenzie in one chair and propped 3-month old Callie in the other. (Audience members get a variety of prizes during the annual holiday 12 Days of Giveaways shows.)
“I’d just worked out, so I didn’t look so great,” she says. “Plus I know Ellen loves kids, so I thought they might improve my chances.”
In spite of the fact that little Callie spit up all over herself from the excitement as the picture was being taken, the strategy worked. Within three hours, the Instagram picture had more than 3,000 likes. The next day, someone from the show called to ask Paskiewicz Cormier how to pronounce her name — and told her to watch Friday’s show.
“So we tuned in and there was our picture,” says Paskiewicz Cormier. “We just started screaming.”
When DeGeneres announced the winner, she said, “She [Paskiewicz Cormier] put them in our chairs thinking we would pick her for that reason and she’s right!”
No details yet of when she’ll be heading to Los Angeles, but Paskiewicz Cormier hopes she’ll be able to bring the girls.
“It’s because of them that I won,” she says. “I want them to share in the fun.”
