Jason Ziegler, 'Come On Down'

Students probably won’t fully appreciate this. Their parents and teachers will.

Last summer while on vacation to Southern California, Perkins High School teacher Jason Ziegler heard these very familiar words: “Come on down, you’re the next contestant on the Price Is Right.”

Indeed, Mr. Ziegler scored his 15 minutes of fame as a contestant on the game show for its Thanksgiving episode, which aired this morning, Wednesday, November 27. 

“My wife (Kerri Ziegler) has always been a huge fan of the Price Is Right since she was a little girl,” Mr. Ziegler said. “She wanted to go out and try to get on the show.”

They went in June and were able to get tickets for tapings of the Halloween and Thanksgiving shows. Mrs. Ziegler was called to “Bidder’s Row” for the Halloween show, but did not make it on stage. 

Mr. Ziegler also was called to “Bidder’s Row” for the Thanksgiving episode. 

“When they call your name, it’s hard to hear. People are screaming,” he said. “They point the camera at you and hold up a card and – holy smokes – everything drops and your heart starts pounding. You run up to the stage and start bidding on prizes.”  

And, his bid on Burberry Scarves – yep, you read that right, scarves – was the closest.

“I got on – I bid the closest,” Mr. Ziegler said. “That’s when it gets real. You run on stage. I wanted to go up there and give Drew Carey a hug and tackle him. But you go up there, and everything goes blank.”

Well, he did not tackle Mr. Carey, but Mr. Ziegler, wearing a "one thankful teacher" Thanksgiving T-shirt, certainly bounded on stage. Mr. Carey, a Cleveland native, joked with Mr. Ziegler as a “San-DOOO-sky” native. For his game, Mr. Ziegler played the Bargain Game and had to consider trips to Hawaii and Vermont, and decide which was a better bargain. He picked right and won both trips.

Then, he got to spin the big wheel. Unfortunately, he did not make the Showcase Showdown. 

But being there is just as much of a prize, he said. And, an unexpected one.

“It was a great experience,” Mr. Ziegler said. “The thing is, I didn’t want to go. We’re in California. I want to go sightseeing or to In-N-Out Burger. And I get on stage.” 

Meeting Drew Carey also was fun. Between takes, Mr. Carey jokes around with the audience and tells stories. The TV star-turned-gameshow host encourages audience members to ask him questions. 

“He’s just so funny,” Mr. Ziegler said. “He’s tiny, too. I remember watching the Drew Carey Show and thinking he was a bigger guy. He’s not as tall as I thought.”