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Local contestants share excitement

By Lisa Malakaua

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 2:48 PM HST

"Wheel of Fortune" in Hawai`i was taped in a series of different themes. On Saturday, September 13, 29-year-old Melissa Rapoza from Kea`au and 28-year-old Serina Riveira from Hilo were on stage during the "Best Friends Week" segment. BIW caught them as they stepped off the stage $4,000 richer.

"We didn't even know that we would be playing together," said Rapoza. "We each signed up on the Internet separately and then we called each other to tell each other that we had gotten an email for an audition and so when I called her it was like, 'No I got an audition,' and I said, 'No, I got an audition.'

"So when we came here to the Hilton to do the audition, they asked if there were any best friends in the audience so we raised our hands and we went from there. Then after the audition, two weeks later, we got a call and they said you are going to be on the show and we were lost for words and didn't know what to say."

Riveira had far fewer words to describe the experience: "It was so nerve wracking."

What's it like to be a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant?

Basically they were "treated like queens," with make-up and food -- "the food was great, they fed us twice," --and pretty much everything else they needed.

And yes, it's a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' literally, because once you've had your day spinning the wheel there is no chance to come back again.

"That is what made it even more nerve wracking but we're glad we are here and we're glad we did it and were just so excited," said Rapoza. Neither one had the chance to even think about what to do with their winnings. "Right now we are going to just go home and call all of our friends and family."

Best friends Julie Taylor and Malia Stapleton of Waikoloa Village walked away with a bit more -- $5.000.

Stapleton confessed she had given more thought to how to spend a larger sum. "Well, we did think about what we would do with the money if we won big, you know like spend it on the family," she said.

"I'm definitely going to buy a new digital camera -- that is on the list and my kids have a little list too," said Taylor.

These two also became contestants by applying on line but, unlike Rapoza and Riveira, they signed up as a team. Stapleton explained it this way: "I actually called up Julie and said, 'Julie...what do you think of the Wheel of Fortune, and she said 'Oh, okay, I'll do it.'"

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Hawai`i Island WOF contestants. - Hadley Catalano

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