Regional Grad Scores 'Price is Right' Appearance

A former cheerleading captain put her cheering skills to use in grabbing a spot on stage at a recent taping of “The Price is Right.”

Laura Blanchard went home with a Dev Valencia diamond bracelet worth $1,340 after guessing it sells for $1,250 – making her the closest guess without going over.

Once on stage, she played the game “Squeeze Play” with the chance of winning a week’s vacation in Rome. She was given six numbers in a row and had to choose which number to remove to come up with the value of the trip. She lost, but was just $100 off, guessing $12,235 when the value was $12,335.

In qualifying for the Showcase Showdown – the part where contestants spin a large wheel covered with numbers – her two spins combined to put he over $1 and she bowed out. But as the wheel spins, each contestant is given a chance to make some "shout-outs." In addition to her family and college, Blanchard was able to toss in “Hamilton-Wenham.”

Blanchard, whose father is Chief Bob Blanchard, came up with the idea to vacation in California and try to get on the show as a way to celebrate her 25th birthday with her childhood friend Rose Ribok- their birthdays are separated by four days.

“That’s why we planned the trip,” she said.

Both women live in Boston now. But they didn’t forget about their roots. In addition to the cheerleading ties, Blanchard was director of the summer camp in the mid 2000s.

Blanchard and Ribok have been friends since first grade at the when they were in Mrs. Larchez' class. And Larchez was one of the first people to reach out to Blanchard after the show aired on Wednesday morning. Blanchard said she received a Facebook message from Larchez “at about 11:03 a.m.” The show airs at 11 a.m. on CBS, channel 4 in Boston.

It’s no accident who gets called from the audience during the show. Blanchard said she put to use her years of cheerleading experience in Hamilton-Wenham during an interview with a show producer, seeking to be one of the chosen contestants from the audience.

“I mostly just jumped up and down and told him he should pick me,” Blanchard said. “And it worked.”

Throughout the show, Blanchard and Ribok – who at one time were cheerleading captains together - sat in the front row and are visible each time the contestants are shown.