Dear Sun Spots: Could you tell me who won the Wheel of Fortune game at the Clam Festival on July 20? When will it be aired on Wheel of Fortune? Thanks. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots is very grateful for the speedy e-mail response from David Strathearn, senior marketing and promotions manager for Wheel of Fortune, who was happy to assist you and other Wheel of Fortune fans.

Strathearn says the The Wheelmobile, a three-dimensional mobile tour, is used to promote the show, work with all of the different affiliate stations across the nation, and find contestants from all corners of the United States to be on the broadcast version of the show.

He writes that a Wheelmobile day consists of three one-hour shows where people are called at random, by drawing their application from a raffle drum, to come up on stage to audition to be a contestant. After the Wheelmobile event, they select the best candidates and pass them on to the Contestant Department. They then follow up to make the final cuts to be on the show.

Since the Wheelmobile was in Yarmouth in late July and the Contestant Department made their return in late August, Strathearn says they have not taped any shows with contestants from the Portland, Maine, area yet. However, over the course of the next couple of seasons, (2007-2008 and 2008-2009) the Contestant Department will be scheduling contestants from the area to be on the show. If they show the qualities it takes to be on the show (good puzzle-solver, speaks in a loud clear voice, fun, energetic, enthusiastic), then they will be on the show. Strathearn says they visit about 25 to 30 cities each year, finding several future contestants from many different cities, and schedule those contestants from those cities in shows over the course of a couple of years.

You and other Wheel of Fortune fans might be interested to know that more than a million people requested the chance to audition for Wheel of Fortune last year, www.wheeloffortune.com. Fewer than 600 were selected. For this reason, Wheel of Fortune strongly discourages you from incurring any expenses whatsoever: airfare, hotel, loss of wages, baby-sitter, car rental, etc. in order to try out for the show. An appointment to audition does not guarantee an appearance on the show.

If you have been selected to attend a final contestant audition (after attending a Wheelmobile event) you might note that there are typically about 70 would-be contestants in the room (normally it’s held in a hotel ballroom). A mini version of Wheel of Fortune is recreated; there’ll be puzzles, a miniature wheel, and a staff of contestant coordinators. Participants get a chance to stand, call out letters, and solve puzzles.

Each person also takes a five-minute written test. The test consists of 16 puzzles and the auditioners attempt to fill in the missing letters. When the five minutes are complete, contestant coordinators collect the tests and leave the room to grade them. When they return, the group is separated; some remain in the room. Those will play the game some more. Contestants will not know by the end of the audition if they have been selected. They are notified by mail whether they have been selected. The entire audition process lasts about two to three hours.

And if that auditioner happens to be chosen as a contestant they have 18 months to make an appearance on the show. Sometimes you’ll be on in a few weeks or months, sometimes it will take more than a year. You can only be on the show once in a lifetime.

Dear Sun Spots: I have an assortment of fabrics to give away to someone who sews for children. I also have lots of craft booklets to give away. Please call if interested 783-6978. – Elaine, Lewiston.

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