Header to Appear on Wheel of Fortune

Laura Cooper can't reveal how she performed on Wheel of Fortune, but she can admit that she "didn't go home empty-handed."

Cooper, who has lived in Marblehead for the last 11 years, will fulfill a lifelong dream when she appears on the popular gameshow tonight.

Last October, Cooper said she heard that the show was looking for contestants in the Boston area and sent in a 60-second video and a photograph "on a whim."

"It was my first time trying to get on the show, I just replied to this random email," Cooper said.

After attending an audition in Boston, which included particpating in mock games and completing a written test, Cooper received a letter informing her that she was picked to film a show in Culver City, Calif.

"We were supposed to find out if we were accepted in 6 to 18 months, but just a few days later I found out I was going to be on," Cooper said. "It was a dream come true."

Just a month later, Cooper was standing starstruck in front of host Pat Sajak and Vanna White.

"That was the best part of the whole experience, meeting Pat and Vanna," Cooper said. "They were so friendly and they came right over to talk to us."

Laura lives in Marblehead with her husband, Rich Cooper, a local real estate agent, and her three children, Charly, Sam and Ty. She owns , a floral business she runs out of her home.

If she wins big?: The money will go toward buying her dream horse - named either Sajak or Vanna.

If she wins small?: "I still got to meet Pat and Vanna and fulfill a lifelong dream," she said.

The episode will be airing on Channel 4 tonight at 7 p.m.