To win, readers opened an envelope in the February issue of O Magazine to find a number, then logged on to oprah.com to see if their number was a winner. No sooner had Ms. Storm plugged her number into the Web site, she got an e-mail confirming the good news.
"I thought it was a scam at first," she said of the envelope in the magazine that contained her number, "but my daughter and I should have a good time."
The event in the city, called "Live Your Best Life," will celebrate O Magazine's decade mark. A welcome reception at Gotham Hall in Manhattan will be held that Friday, and on Saturday, guests will register at the Javits Center down the street for a series of "LifeShops" -- motivational seminars from cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, financial advisor Suze Orman and interior decorator Nate Berkus, all well-known contributors to "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Saturday night, Ms. Winfrey will host a one-woman show at Radio City Music Hall, where she will enact excerpts from her autobiography. Sunday morning, Ms. Storm will participate in a 5K walk to benefit 10 charities picked by O Magazine editors.
Tickets for the event are now available for $375, not including hotel costs. Ms. Storm, an employee of Verizon Wireless in Port Jefferson and a self-described "magazine junkie," said she entered the contest "on a whim." Her guest will be her 37-year-old daughter Samantha, a New York City attorney and another fan of Ms. Winfrey's magazine.
A reporter from this newspaper asked Ms. Storm a few questions about her lucky weekend and how O -- the magazine and the woman ¬-- has influenced her life:
Q: What would you normally be doing on Mother's Day?
A: My kids and five grandchildren usually come out and visit my husband (Tom) and me.
Q: Is Tom jealous he can't go with you to the Oprah weekend?
A: [Laughs] No. I have a couple of girlfriends who are jealous, but I can't imagine Tom being jealous of this trip.
Q: Do you think you'll get to meet Oprah?
A: I imagine I will.
Q: Are you excited if so?
A: I wouldn't say I'm excited per se, but I do admire Oprah and her whole theory of "live your best life."
Q: What have you done lately to live your best life?
A: Well, [Oprah] always says to make your bedroom a sanctuary. And my bedroom is a sanctuary. It has soft white walls and sage green on the floor. I like soft colors. I appreciate nature, daffodils and tulips.
Q: Why do you like O Magazine in particular?
A: Because it speaks to the whole person -- body, mind and soul. And it's nice to look at. Very good quality. And no matter who you are or how much money you have, the message is always there: We all have the opportunity to live our best lives.
eschultz@timesreview.com