Maricopa woman in final 8 for $1 million Macy’s makeover

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Maricopa resident Tara Clark has been selected out of 19,000 contestants as one of eight finalists to win “Macy’s Million Dollar Makeover with Clinton Kelly.”  

Clinton Kelly, co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” and a stylist for Macy’s, launched the contest back in December through Facebook. It gives participants an opportunity to receive a $1 million prize package of products, services and cash to transform their life.

“I was bored one night, just going through Facebook, came across it, and on a whim, decided to enter,” said Clark, “I really didn’t think anything was going to happen.”
 
Clark was laid off from Verizon Wireless in 2009. Shortly thereafter, she went through a divorce, and is now a single mother of four, with her house in foreclosure, and no vehicle to get around. She’s been reliant on family and friends to give her rides to the store, or to go out in search of a job. With the job market still struggling to recover, Tara has attempted to generate her own means of income by creating her own business as an event planner.
 
“I had been kind of doing this for years, but I’ve never been able to get it off the ground. With all that happened to me before this, I was doing some soul searching and really looking for a way to make everything happen. In these times, I think my story is something that many people can relate to, and I think that’s why they chose me to a part of this exciting experience. I’m still saying ‘oh, my gosh, I can’t believe it!’”  
 
Clark remembers the moment she received the news: “I had to close my bedroom door and I started jumping up and down screaming. I had to go along with the confidentially agreement and I couldn’t tell anyone for three weeks. It was the most agonizing secret I ever had to keep!”
 
Clark has already met with Kelly in New York, where she received a complete make-over with a new wardrobe to help give her the look of a professional event planner. Since then, cameras have been following her constantly, as Facebook users have been allowed to track her and get an inside look into her life. 
 
“It’s been a little difficult for my boys to adjust to this, but they’re excited too,” Clark said. “They know how much it will mean.”
 
Right now, the contest is in the hands of Facebook users, who will decide who makes the top 4. Voting ends tonight, and the top 4 will be announced on Facebook April 4th.  More videos of the semi-finalists will be posted, and Facebook users will vote again to decide who will be in the finals.
 
“It really would transform my life,” said Clark. “I can save my home, buy a vehicle and get my business going for the long run. It would be a dream come true.”
 
 
To vote for her, go to www.facebook.com/macys