OPRAH'S BIG GIVE - Playing well with others

Teamwork, or lack thereof, was the deciding factor Oprah’s Big Give this week as the contestants descended on Houston, TX to help out two deserving elementary schools. 

This time around the group was broken up into two teams at the beginning of the challenge. Host Nate Berkus gave the assembled players five seconds to choose teams, which evoked memories of the cruel selection process all kids must go through on the school yard. The cool kids glom on to each other, leaving everyone else to cobble together a team as best they can. In this case, Eric, Stephen, Cameron, and Brandi all immediately grouped together while Rachael, Kim, Sheg, and Carlana formed the second group out of necessity.

You can’t really blame Eric, Stephen, and Cameron for wanting to work together again since they had been so successful in the past, but the whole team selection seemed kind of cliquey, didn’t it? It was an interesting glimpse into the Big Give group dynamic.  

Rachael must have felt the same way, because she deliberately held back from the team selection and just joined whatever team needed her. It was as if Rachael was too proud to stick her neck out and ask to be part of a team, which I can sort of understand – but on the other hand, if I was in a contest like that I would say to heck with pride and try to get on the strongest team right away. Maybe she was having a schoolyard flashback to that time when she was picked last for kickball in 4^th grade, I don’t know. 

This week each team got to bring in a heavy-hitting celebrity to help them fund raise for their school. Cameron, Brandi, Eric and Stephen scored skating icon Tony Hawk. Their mission: deliver a Forgotten Christmas to the under-privileged kids of Velasco Elementary. Rachael, Sheg, Kim, and Carlana hooked up with tennis legend Andre Agassi to build a badly needed Field of Dreams for the kids at Simms Elementary. The superstar assistance was crucial to the success of their plans, but so was teamwork and communication – and that’s where one group fell short. 

The Field of Dreams team was hampered by a power struggle and personality conflict between Carlana and Rachael, two women who both seem accustomed to calling the shots. Their team was fractured from the start – when they arrived at Simms Elementary, Kim and Rachael rushed inside while Carlana was loading herself into her wheelchair outside. They couldn’t have waited two minutes and had a quick huddle outside so everyone was on the same page? Things weren’t starting well. 

On the other hand, the Forgotten Christmas team seemed like a well-oiled machine, coordinating a huge shopping spree to Toys ‘r’ Us to collect enough loot for the kids of Velasco Elementary. They didn’t show a lot of the planning and coordination stage because yawn, who wants to watch people talking on the phone and making lists? However, they clearly had their act together. 

The other team? Not so much. They relied a lot on outside help to organize the new playground and didn’t communicate well with each other. Carlana grew progressively more frustrated with Rachael until the team sat down to hash out their issues. This drove Rachael crazy – she felt that the hour they spent talking about their feelings could have been better spent working on the task at hand. The Field of Dreams team was definitely lacking in esprit de corps, team spirit. 

How did each team do? Agassi knows what he’s doing when it comes to fundraising – he helped the Field of Dreams team scrape together a whopping $570,000 for Simms Elementary. That kind of money was going to help the school well beyond just getting a new playground. Tony Hawk and Team Forgotten Christmas pulled in about $180,000 worth of donations for the kids at Velasco Elementary. They may have not raised as much cash as the other team, but their presentation and reveal were over-the-top awesome. If you have Santa arriving in a red helicopter you get extra style points in my book. 

Both teams were hugely successful in their fund raising for the kids, so the deciding factor this week came down to team spirit and cooperation. The conflict between Rachael and Carlana didn’t go unnoticed, and in the end the judges gave Carlana the boot. Rachael escaped this week, but I’d be nervous and on my best behavior if I were her going forward, because I imagine the judges will be watching to see how well she plays with others. 

Next week: how to spend $100,000 in 24 hours.  Man, I'd like to have a problem like that...

-Dave Campbell

Comments

[The Big Gve Sent The Wrong Person Home!!!!]

The judges made a BIG mistake on this one! I don't feel the judges watched the same episode that my family and I just viewed. I have my children watching this as I felt it's a very important show, although they are nine and six this is one night they get to stay up late on a school night. My nine year old said right from the beginning "mommy that Rachal lady is very mean, she is a bully and is not being a team, I don't like her very much, those are the type of people in school who nobody wants to be friends with but ones that everyone is afraid of so they always get their way". I told my nine year old it's not kind to say he did not like her but I found myself not liking Rachal either, I told my son don't worry everyone will see how she is and she will get voted off. Carlana should not have been the one to be voted off! Rachel is star struck, has no interest in working as a team and displayed this right from the beginning when she stated during the team selection process "I am not going over to anyone". This show is about coming together an giving together and this was missed on Rachal's behalf but the judges rewarded her and sent home the wrong person! I then thought for sure Oprah would have made it right on her show today but in my opinion and many others that have blogged and discussed this on Oprah's site, yahoo, facebook and the internet; the judge, producers and Oprah messed this ine up big. I don't think I will be watching the Big Give anymore especially when my nine year now believes that bullies always get away with everything and that's why the world isn't getting better! When you see it through the eyes of a child it's even more disrupting of how they made a terrible mistake, too bad they still can't see that. I can't believe Oprah told Carlana she went home cause she bite too hard, something the Judge Jamie mentioned as a reason for her going home. I'll I can say is WOW what were the judges and producers thinking, this mean, ungrateful, arrogant lady Rachal should never have been chosen to represent this show ... she is a fake!

[michelle]

The wrong person was definitely sent home. The fact that they did not wait for Carlana initially when they arrived at the school should have been enough reason to send someone else home and then the behavior and lack of team spirit that Rachael continued to display showed that she should have been the one sent home. From what you chose to show, Carlana was trying to unite her team, not cause a fight. I disagree with the judges decision and the comments that Oprah made to Carlana.

[You blew it.]

We understand and expect now that the producers on these reality shows keep the troublemakers to perpetuate conflict, but I had hoped for better from Oprah's Big Give. Raechel was NOT a team player and set a deplorable example. This show could be inspiring, but is NOT. It's all about the money and the personalities.

[Mundeep Singh Achreja]

Hi,
I read you website about the "BIG GIVE",I think this is a very creative way of helping out those in needs. I pray this CHANGES THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE CHOSEN.
My family lives in a (New Orleans) city still hurting/recovering from the destruction of a deadly hurricane named "Katrina" , that change the coarse of history.
While damaging communities and lives ,as well as homes. For example, we lost my mom's peach tree which was pulled out the ground with 4 other trees , and, in addition the hurricane washed away dirt around the foundation and the wind hard rain left holes in the roof. this
"O" I think our house needs a makeover ! Really.