Former NBA great Charles Barkley has won more than $67,000 on "The Price Is Right" game show on behalf of homeless children at Sacramento's Mustard Seed School.
Barkley is one of five celebrities this week to appear on the show's "Celebrity Charity Week." The episodes were prerecorded for broadcast this week, airing in Sacramento on Channel 13 (KOVR).
Barkley's episode aired Thursday. He watched while contestants played games such as Plinko and the Range Game to win prizes.
When contestants won $11,000 trips to Tahiti or a new car, Barkley won the value of the prizes for Mustard Seed.
Halfway through the hourlong show, host Drew Carey announced that the school had already won $32,398. Barkley said, "I need a little more."
He was to get quite a bit more when the next contestant won, bringing the total to $41,996.
Then a contestant won a car, and Mustard Seed cashed in, bringing the total to about $59,000. After that, Barkley himself hit big money when the former All-Star known as "Sir Charles" spun a big wheel and won $8,000.
Barkley, now a basketball TV analyst, smiled, clapped and hugged the other contestants.
"Charles Barkley won $67,633 for Mustard Seed School in Sacramento, California," Carey said. "Enjoy the money. Spend it wisely."
Mustard Seed School was established in 1989 to educate homeless children.
The school's director, Angela Hassell, said the school had about 35 children enrolled as of Thursday.
"Our students stay for an average of three to four weeks," Hassell said. "We are designed to be an emergency school for families while they are homeless. Once families get housing stability, we help them re-enroll into public school."
The school had no idea it would be a big winner until the taped episode aired Thursday morning. The students cheered when money was won and booed when things didn't go their way.
"We are thrilled," said director Hassell after the broadcast.
The school will use the money for regular operating expenses, to pay teachers and to keep the lights on.
Hassell said a Mustard Seed volunteer's daughter works on Barkley's public relations team. Barkley wanted to do something for a children's charity and ended up choosing Mustard Seed.
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