CULVER CITY (CNS) - Emmy-winning CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will debut as guest host of “Jeopardy!'' tonight, with contestant winnings during his two-week tenure matched by the show and donated to an Atlanta summer educational enrichment program.
Odyssey targets Atlanta Public Schools first through 12th grade students, focusing on science, technology, art, engineering, and math.
A contribution of $217,985 was made to The Bowery Mission as a match of contestants' winnings for Savannah Guthrie's two-week stint as guest host, which concluded Friday. The mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since the 1870s, when its neighborhood came to define the term Skid Row.
“Jeopardy!'' has donated $1,662,961 to its guest hosts' charities of choice. The amount is determined by the cumulative winnings of the contestants during their weeks as host.
The game show also matched the $250,000 grand prize for the 2021 “Jeopardy!'' Tournament of Champions and donated that amount to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless at the former site of the Skateland roller rink in Northridge.
The purchase of the rink was financed in part by a $500,000 donation from the late “Jeopardy!'' host Alex Trebek and his wife Jean.
“Jeopardy!'' has turned to guest hosts to fill the role held by Trebek since its syndicated revival began in 1984. Trebek died Nov. 8 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80.
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