Photo courtesy of Katie Fromkes

Katie Fromkes holds up the sign that was used by producers to announce that she would be a contestant on "The Price is Right".

Friday October 26, 2001

Chevy Malibu, speedboat and trip to Miami among her winnings

"Come on down! You're the next contestant on 'The Price is Right!'"

For Katie Fromkes, a UA studio arts sophomore, the words never sounded so sweet.

Fromkes, also a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, won a Chevy Malibu last weekend when she went on "The Price is Right" game show in Los Angeles.

Fromkes, who traveled with 19 of her sorority sisters to see the taping, also won a speedboat, tennis accessories, a painting, a set of china and $40 worth of yams after she was picked as a participant on the 30-year-old CBS game show.

The girls arrived at the show dressed in red shirts with the Greek letters of their sorority. Fromkes said she had a temporary tattoo of Bob Barker on her cheek.

But she almost missed her chance to win when the show's staff called her by her full name, Kathryn.

"It was funny when they called my name. We had 20 girls cheering but they didn't say 'Katie' so I didn't pay attention," she said.

She said although it seems on television that announcer Rod Roddy calls people's names, his voice cannot be heard from the audience.

Fromkes sat in the contestants' row for five rounds before she finally won the first game and got up on stage.

"The fifth round came and someone bid $851, so I bid $852," she said.

She said she apologized to the contestant she bid against.

In the next game, Fromkes won a car and $40 worth of yams. It was then that she gave game show host Bob Barker a big kiss on the cheek.

"Bob was very funny," she said. "He's really short."

Camille Smith, a sorority member who sat next to Fromkes at the taping, said watching her friend's win gave her the greatest feeling in the world.

"Ever since I met her, she's talked about 'The Price is Right,'" Smith said.

Fromkes said the show's TV-taping studio is much smaller than the camera portrays.

"I can't figure out how they make it look that big," she said.

She already decided what she plans to do with her winnings. After paying the 7-percent tax, she plans to sell the car and the boat and give the china to her parents for Christmas. She also plans to take her mother on the trip to Miami.

She said her gifts would arrive within 90 days.

The show is scheduled to air on Dec. 18.