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Ellen Degeneres surprises Va. family with gifts, vacation

Posted at 9:23 PM, Jan 08, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-08 21:24:35-05

Hampton, Va. – The Ellen show is known for its surprise giveaways, and one lucky Virginia family were the recipients of the talk show host’s abundant goodwill, with the help of William and Mary students. 

Dominique and Johnathon Pierce, the parents of four children. They also serve as counselors to at-risk kids and adults. They strive to lead by example.

That’s one reason why Ellen recently surprised this Hampton family with a huge prize package.  It was part of the Ellen DeGeneres show’s “12 Days of Giveaways.”

The Ellen Show is known for its great giveaways. The family had spent the holidays with the flu bug and didn’t have much of a Christmas.

The show enlisted students from William and Mary to double as elves and deliver the packages.

The Pierce’s received $30,000 in prizes, and even though they weren’t expecting to talk to Ellen, she called in to surprise the family.

The gifts included a 42-inch television, gift cards ranging from $200 to $2,000, concert tickets, electronics and a trip to Jamaica. Sounds of applause from the studio audience in Los Angeles echoed in the background.

And on top of the bounty of gifts, Ellen invited the family out to California.

She’s also funding a honeymoon for them, their first in seven years of marriage.

The William and Mary students were sworn to secrecy until after the show aired–so as to not ruin the surprise for the family.