Beth Smith of Valley City, right, and her sister, Janelle Mortimer of Laguna Niguel, Calif., left, hold  a sign that says the amount of money Smith won as a contestant on “The Price is Right!” Smith says she never would have been able to do it without the help of her sister. Smith had these T-shirts made up before she went on the show. No one was allowed to take pictures at the game show, so they had this one taken later. (Submitted photo) 

By Jean Schlegel
Valley City Times-Record

A Valley City woman still gets excited when she talks about the game show, "The Price is Right!"
Beth Smith has good reason. She won prizes worth $19,710 on Feb. 19 when her named was called and she heard, "Beth Smith, come on down ... you're the first contestant on the Price is Right!"
Smith and her sister, Janelle Mortimer of Laguna Niguel, Calif., had planned this trip for a long time. They had watched the show since they were kids when Bob Barker was the host. He recently retired and Drew Carey took over.
They never dreamed they'd have to stand in line for 10 hours before being interviewed. And, even that didn't guarantee that they would get on the show. The studio only holds 320 people.
However, Smith told the interviewers that she came from 25 below temperatures in North Dakota just to get on "The Price is Right!" This must have impressed the producers because Smith and her sister "were in." She said they must have thought, "Gee, that sorry girl needs to get on "The Price is Right!"
"If it wasn't for my sister, Janelle, I never would have been able to concentrate. I just kept my eyes focused on her. Janelle would figure out the prices for whatever we were bidding on," Smith said. Her sister would shout out the prices to Smith, who blocked out everyone else. The whole audience was just screaming out numbers. It was on that fourth try when she bid and won the trampoline that entitled her to go on stage.
She was shocked, though, to hear that famous line: "Beth Smith, come on down...you're the first contestant on the Price is Right!"

For full story, see Tuesday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.