Former Jeopardy! champion James Holzhauer donates a portion of his game show earnings to battle cancer in Alex Trebek’s name. The professional sports gambler from Las Vegas took Jeopardy! by a storm with his dominating gameplay and snagged 32 consecutive wins - putting him on track to surpass Jeopardy’s all-time champion, Ken Jennings. Viewers of Jeopardy! became enthralled by Holzhauer’s winning streak and Trebek’s hosting performances after his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
America’s favorite game show has made waves in the headlines over the years with a contestant winning with just $1, a mid-game marriage proposal, Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak swapping hosting duties with Trebek, and numerous parodies on SNL. In March, Trebek revealed in a somber message that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients is nine percent - the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. Unrelentingly, Trebek continued his hosting duties as Holzhauer inched towards taking the throne from Ken Jennings. Holzhauer became the second person ever to surpass $1 million dollars in non-tournament play. He attributed his vast array of knowledge to children’s literature - claiming those books were easier to mentally digest than adult reference books. However, Holzhauer’s time on Jeopardy! came to an end when he lost a game, albeit with the correct answer. Jeopardy! and Trebek appears to have made a lasting impact on Holzhauer, as he recently honored the host’s name.
As reported to The Wrap, a resident from Illinois, Ann Zediker, connected with Holzhauer after witnessing his formidable run on Jeopardy! Zediker’s father passed away from pancreatic cancer and since then she has founded the Naperville Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk. Holzhauer once lived in Naperville and Zediker invited the champion to participate in the event in July. Unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, Holzhauer donated $1109.14 in Trebek’s name. A seemingly odd amount, the number’s significance is attributed to Holzhauer’s daughter’s birthday - November 9, 2014. Gracious, Trebek began a Jeopardy! episode by stating to Holzhauer and his daughter, “I want to express my thanks to your beautiful little daughter, Natasha, for having made this get well card for me.”
Along with the Naperville Cancer Walk, Holzhauer has donated portions of his $2,462,216 earnings to numerous causes including homeless youth, museum preservation, and public schools. Recently, Trebek made a public appearance at the National Hockey League Awards as a presenter and received a standing ovation from the crowd. The iconic Jeopardy! podiums will feature Holzhauer behind them in the future when he returns in season 36 for the next edition of Tournament of Champions.
Trebek has since revealed that his cancer is nearing remission. Despite speculation of Jeopardy! seeking out a replacement host, Trebek is still under contract with the show for the next three years. Audiences are always jostled when beloved game show hosts, such as Bob Barker from The Price is Right, step down from decades-long tenures. Undoubtedly large shoes to fill, Trebek’s successor will have to be someone with charisma, charm, and an understanding of the logistics of the game - a checklist Holzhauer certainly fulfills. Holzhauer’s generous donations of his winnings to important causes have made him a true Jeopardy! champion.
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Source: The Wrap
