Former “Jeopardy!” contestant James Holzhauer has donated a portion of his $2,462,216 winnings to a charity that raises money for pancreatic cancer — in Alex Trebek’s name.
Trebek, who has publicly addressed his battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, thanked Holzhauer’s daughter Natasha for a handmade “get well soon” card she’d given him during an her father’s final episode of “Jeopardy!”
That spurred Ann Zediker, a resident of Naperville, Illinois who watched Holzhauer during his run on the game show, to reach out and invite him to come walk in a pancreatic cancer walk she founded in honor of her late father, who died of the same illness.
Holzhauer couldn’t attend the walk, but he decided to donate to the cause — he gave the charity $1,109.14, a number that references his daughter’s date of birth.
The donation was made in Trebek’s name; the “Jeopardy!” host announced in May that he is “near” remission.
Holzhauer has also made donations to other charitable causes near his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. They include Project 150, which supports homeless youth, according to Nevada Business, the Ronald McDonald House in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library, and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, according to CNBC, and Communities in Schools, which helps keep kids in school, according to CBS news.