Oprah wows military spouses with some of her 'Favorite Things'
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By Rodger Mullen and Jessica BanovStaff writers
the military spouses were gathered in a screening room expecting to preview a new military-themed series on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network.
The spouses - 29 women and one man - were flown in to the Washington, D.C., area and only had been told that they would be talking to producers about the new "Married to the Army: Alaska" series.
But then Winfrey showed up. They weren't just there for a focus group, Winfrey said. They would be appearing on "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode, an event that has Winfrey bestowing lavish gifts on worthy recipients while whipping the audience into a frenzy that increases with each gift.
The episode will air Sunday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. The spouses were all nominees or winners of the Military Spouse of the Year award presented by Military Spouses magazine. Three women have ties to Fort Bragg.
"We were jumping around and screaming," said Rebekah Sanderlin, one of the spouses on the show. "At one point, we all held hands because we couldn't believe it was happening."
Sanderlin recently moved to! Niceville, Fla., from Fayetteville. Her husband is a master sergeant in the Army and has spent much of his 17-year Army career at Fort Bragg. She also is co-editor of CityView magazine and blogs about military family issues.
After the initial appearance, Winfrey told the spouses that she would return following the screening of "Married to the Army." But after five minutes, the screens only had static. The doors opened again to reveal Winfrey, now in red sequins and heels, with a cadre of helpers wearing Santa hats and carrying gifts.
"It was incredibly intense," Sanderlin said. "Some of the gifts had incredible significance for people."
Oh, the gifts. The participants aren't allowed to disclose what they received, though some have been revealed on Winfrey's website. They include designer gadgets, food, clothes, exercise equipment and other high-end items Winfrey has put her stamp of approval on. Big-ticket items will be revealed in tonight's episode.
Sanderlin said the experience was meaningful, and not just because of the presents. The recipients include community leaders and those working to improve lives for members of the military and their families, she said. Some of the women are widows as well, she said.
"Everyone who got to go has done something pretty incredible," Sanderlin said.
She cites other local spouses as examples. Eli Arroyo of Whispering Pines is a breast cancer survivor who is determined to help others. She is married to David Allen, a senior chief in the Navy stationed at Fort Bragg.
Four years ago, on the same day her husband deployed to Bahrain, Arroyo was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"It was obviously overwhelming," Arroyo said in a telephone interview. "At the time, to be honest, my concentration was getting David to Virginia so he could take off."
Even as she dealt with her treatments and surgery, Arroyo - who is of Cuban descent - wanted to do more. She started a foundation called "Loving Life/Amando La Vida" that focuses ! on helpin! g Hispanic women who have breast cancer get the treatment they need.
Arroyo said meeting Winfrey was a "magical moment" that lasted two hours. Arroyo is coming up on the fifth anniversary of her diagnosis and is doing well. One of the first things she did after the show was to call her college-student son.
"He couldn't even understand what I was telling him," Arroyo said. "All I could say was, 'Oh my God, oh my God!' "
Catherine Woyee Jones was a finalist for the Spouse of the Year award for organizing a Veterans Day 5k race in Apex where her family lives. The second annual race was last weekend with proceeds going to nonprofit organizations that support military families. Jones is married to Army Maj. Courtney Jones, who is stationed at Fort Bragg.
Their 10-year-old daughter, Ive, also started a military letter-writing campaign called Every Letter Matters.
Jones said she ran on stage and hugged the host. In the special, she's wearing a blue dress with a green scarf, she said.
"We all freaked out," Jones said. "Every time I think about it, my heart starts to race. It started looking like a party almost, like you're in a fairy land."
During the show, Winfrey thanked the spouses for their work and spoke with them about their experiences.
"She captured who we were and what we did in our community and how we helped change other people lives," Jones said.
Winfrey told them that she knew the recipients were thinking of those at home they could share their gifts with, Sanderlin said, but that she hoped they would accept them in the spirit they were given. Instead, Winfrey told them, she hoped the experience would energize them to find new ways to help others when they returned home.
"There's a sense of obligation that most of us feel," Sanderlin said. "We don't feel like anyone deserves this more than anyone else.
"Already, there are a dozen new programs to pay it forward," she said. "I think the entire military community will benefit in some fa! shion bec! ause of this. There's not a single one of us who's not looking for a way to give back."
ON TV
"Oprah's Favorite Things" is at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 on OWN. Viewers can enter for a chance to win some of the items on the show by texting key words throughout the show. Go to oprah.com/favoritethings for details and to buy the items yourself.