Teen ‘Jeopardy’ Winner Donates $10K Winnings To Alex Trebek’s Cancer Treatment

After his success in a teen-centric “Jeopardy” tournament over the summer, winner Avi Gupta will be donating a portion of his winnings to cancer research in honor of host Alex Trebek.

Trebek, who has hosted the iconic trivia show since 1984, announced in March that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.

From his total winnings of $100,000, Gupta, 18, will be donating $10,314 to the Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) in Portland. The donation was made to both honor Trebek and to coincide with November, which is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

“I was inspired to give by Alex Trebek, the host of ‘Jeopardy’ and someone I’ve looked up to my whole life,” Gupta said in a video posted to OSHU’s official Twitter page. “It was a dream come true earlier this year to finally join him on the ‘Jeopardy’ stage in the ‘Jeopardy’ teen tournament, and I’m honored to be able to make this donation to the Knight Cancer Institute to support him and the millions of other people suffering from pancreatic cancer all across the world.”

Trebek has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since his diagnosis and most recently resumed treatment in September. He has stated his intention to continued hosting for as long as he is able. In a recent interview with CTV, Trebek said that he has comes to terms with the possibility of his death.

“I’m not afraid of dying,” Trebek said. “I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life.”