Margaretville Village Treasurer Betty DeSilva may be keeping track of more than just the village's money after she appears on "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" on Wednesday.
Betty DeSilva, 71, joined her daughter Diane DeSilva, 50, of Clifton Park, and her granddaughter, Bree Ballard, 26, of Clifton Park, as a team on a special family week on the show hosted by Meredith Vieira.
The episode was taped in September.
In this area, the program airs weekdays on WNYT-13 at 2:30 p.m., WIVT-34 at 5:30 and 7 p.m. and WSYR-13 at 7 p.m.
Betty said the family was gathered at her house on a weekend in June when Bree, who had been surfing the Internet, happened on the Millionaire site and discovered that they were seeking contestants for a week of shows featuring three generations of the same family playing as a team.
"She said, Grammy, would you consider being on Millionaire?' and I said, Oh sure, like it would ever happen,'" Betty DeSilva said Thursday. "Then two or three days later, we were called to try out as contestants."
Ballard, who said she loves trivia to the point of almost being "nerdy," said that when she saw the website, she knew her family would be perfect.
"I have sent e-mails applying to Jeopardy' over and over again and have never gotten a response," Bree said Thursday. "I couldn't believe it when I got the e-mail that we were chosen."
On July 12, the three women, with Bree's infant daughter, Ella, went to New York City to begin the qualification process, which began with a test.
"Our first dilemma was figuring out how to get to the city because none of us had ever driven in the city, so we took the train from Rhinebeck," Betty said. "We had fun on the train, but when we went to the ABC building and stood in line with a bunch of people, I was a nervous wreck.
"I thought, I am never going to pass this test and they are going to throw us out on the street,'" she said.
The group was given 10 minutes to take a 30-question test and then waited to see which of the family groups made it to the interview process.
Bree said their team was the last number called.
"There was a lot of emotion," Bree said. "We were so sad when we didn't think we were going to get called, and then we were so excited. Then, after we made it through the first interview and were called for the second interview, we were ecstatic."
Even at that point, there were no guarantees. They had to go home and wait for three weeks before receiving a postcard on Aug. 11 that said they might get picked for the contestant pool.
Betty said a week later they were called and told to come to New York City on Sept. 11.
"We had to go back to the city on the busiest day ever," Betty said. "Both presidential candidates were in town and it was crazy, but the show was an absolutely fantastic experience."
The women arrived at ABC at 6 a.m. and were warned to plan to be there until 8 p.m. Betty said there were 10 to 12 family groups, but at the end of the day only six families made it on the show.
"We were taken to the green room and had breakfast," Betty said. "Then there was a rehearsal, and then we were lectured by attorneys for 11/2 hours about what we could and couldn't say. I decided I would just keep my mouth shut."
The taping of the week of shows began after lunch.
"The most nerve-racking thing is that now they time you," Betty said. "There is so much pressure, but the whole experience was just wonderful for all three of us."
Bree's boyfriend, who is Ella's dad, is currently deployed to Iraq. The family said that some "Millionaire" money would definitely help them out right now.
Betty's husband, Russell Schebesta, Margaretville town clerk, stayed at home to serve as one of the family's three potential "Phone A Friends."
Betty said that if her family won big on "Millionaire," she would take a trip to Europe and retire.
Diane said that she would buy a new house, and Bree said that she would get a new car, use it toward day care costs and start a college fund for Ella.
