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OPRAH Winfrey - who has given her audiences everything from cars to vacation cruises - yesterday gave out $1,000 debit cards, with one hitch:
The audience members had to give the money away to someone who needs it.
She said she wanted her audience - more than 300 people - to experience the pleasure she gets from giving away money.
"I can honestly say that every gift I've given has brought at least as much happiness to as it has to the person I've given it to," Winfrey said on the show. "That's the feeling I want to pass on to you."
Bank of America provided the cards and more than $300,000 to fill them.
Family members were excluded from the generosity, the talk show host said.
DVD recorders were loaned to each member of the audience to tape their experiences with the money and send it back for a future episode of "Oprah."
Oprah's staff is expecting the cameras back with the footage after about a week.
If the cameras aren't returned, they plan to follow up on how the money gets spent - though it is unclear what will happen to those who spend the money on themselves.
"We're going to give you one week to come up with your plan and to shoot your own story," Winfrey said.
"So you're going to shoot your own story, tell us how you spent the money, shoot the people you gave the money to," she said.
"You're going to open your hearts," Winfrey said. "You're going to be really creative, and you're going to spend it all at once on one stranger or spend a dollar on every person.
"Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000."
Show officials say they expect audience members to go along with the gift guidelines.
Before the show, everyone in the audience provided "Oprah" staffers with contact information.
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