OPRAH'S BIG GIVE - And the biggest giver is...

The Big Give reached the finish line this week as the remaining three contestants, Cameron, Brandi, and Stephen, joined forces for one final mission in Oprah's hometown of Chicago.  There was a little bit of conflict between the three during the last task, but if we're judging on a reality-TV basis, it was pretty mild.  In the end teamwork and goodwill triumphed and the three returned to Big Give World HQ for a final reckoning.

Although I'm sure it crossed the minds of the contestants, no mention of any prize was made to them during the competition.  The finalists seemed honestly surprised and delighted by the final prize - ONE MILLION DOLLARS.  In keeping with The Big Give theme, the winner got to keep $500,000 and donate the rest to a charity or non-profit of his/her choice.  The runner-ups and all the eliminated contestants all received generous prizes as well - I don't think anybody was going home unhappy.

The winner, the biggest giver of all, was Stephen the hard-working contractor and father of three girls.  Any of the three finalists would have been a good choice, but Stephen really deserved to win.  Week after week he proved to be imaginative, organized, inspired, and effective.  Since he was a little older than Brandi and Cameron, Stephen had a little more real-life experience and used networking to his advantage.

So kudos to Stephen and all the contestants on this most unusual of reality contest shows.  They demonstrated that with a little motivation and creativity, anyone can make a difference.

--Dave Campbell