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Windy City Live Goes Behind the Scenes with Jeopardy!

A group of hopeful contestants competed for their chance to buzz in on national TV at the Jeopardy! auditions this past weekend. ABC7 Chicago’s Windy City Live team went behind the scenes to experience the rigor of trying out for the show.

Even if you don’t live in Chicago, you can still watch all the fun with Val, Ryan and Ji as they see what it takes to be a Jeopardy! champion and find out which lucky contestant will travel to Culver City, California, to face Alex Trebek at the podium this season. 

And if that’s not enough, Jimmy and Kelly of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew, along with legendary champions Julia Collins and Colby Burnett, make an appearance to impart some wisdom to this hopeful contestant.

Watch the video here.

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This Wednesday, Windy City Live is all about America's Favorite Quiz Show®!

Tune in as Val, Ryan and Ji go behind the scenes at the Jeopardy! contestant search in Chicago. Hear about their trials and tribulations and see which lucky contestant will travel to Culver City, California, to face Alex Trebek at the podium this season. As if that wasn't enough, legendary champions Julia Collins and Colby Burnett make a special appearance to impart some wisdom to this hopeful contestant. Plus, it is always tons of fun when Jeopardy! Clue Crew members, Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara, stop by!

Be sure to watch ABC7 tomorrow morning at 11am to see this special Jeopardy! episode of Windy City Live.

Learn more about Windy City Live.

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How One Jeopardy! Contestant’s Experience Lead to an Unforgettable Viral Moment

January 15, 2015 was poised to be magical. It was the day of the Oscar nominations, a.k.a. The Real Christmas. My pals Chris, Tony, Gus, and I woke at 5:30 for the big announcement and huddled in our jammies like Clement Moore characters. As nominations were read, we screamed for the goodies that Academy Santa had brought us. “A surprise nomination for Marion Cotillard! You shouldn’t have, Santa!” I hollered. A holy morning.

That afternoon I was coasting on Cotillard zealotry when I noticed a missed call from Culver City. Culver City! I saw Ken Jennings give an interview once where he mentioned that when Jeopardy! producers phone him, it’s from a Culver City number. I knew this was my time.

“Congratulations!” a producer said on the other line. “You’re going to be a contestant on Jeopardy!”

I grinned, I cackled. I texted my brother Mark with “I’M OFF TO TREBEKISTAN, MORTAL.” 

Jeopardy! has been my favorite TV show for as long as I can remember. It rewards the three things I care about: reflexes, knowledge, and competitiveness. I call it “Bad Girls Club” for nerds. Just showoffs going nuts and bludgeoning each other with trivia about word origins.

Getting on Jeopardy! means acknowledging your trivia blind spots – and fast. I needed to cram factoids on classical music, economics, and sports ending in “ball.” Weights and measures. Carpentry. Opera. Military everything. Why do people know so much about the military? The army dresses that way so you don’t notice them, guys.

So I rallied. I coaxed my comrades to play Wii Jeopardy! against me. My friend Nick made flashcards with horrible things like “1 hectare = 2.47 acres” on them. My mom mailed over a gigantic timeline of classical music history and assured me that Beethoven’s 7th rules. By the date of my tape day, I could recite a list of Super Bowl MVPs and tell you what plagued Schumann. Plus, I bought a puce suit from J. Lindeberg that made me look like a superfly British game show host. I felt qualified.

Contestants on Jeopardy! arrive early. I wiled away the morning of February 25 signing papers and asking nice strangers to fix my tie. When we all introduced ourselves, one of the other contestants glanced at me and said, “Wait, Louis Virtel. From Twitter?” Damn. My competition knew my 140-character Cate Blanchett jokes. I was unprepared for that subterfuge.

I noticed during rehearsal games that it’s almost random who has buzzer luck. A lady named Mary Green trounced me on the buzzer five questions in a row, and it didn’t bother me. I knew my nervous energy would serve me well during an actual game. What did bother me was when a contestant coordinator pointed at me and said, “Louis! You’re playing now.” I’d been so focused on rehearsal practice that I’d forgotten to be terrified for the actual game.

After a quick check in the mirror, where I coerced my hair into its traditional Cool Whip dollop, I took the third podium. A new champ named Andrew Haringer reigned, and Mary Green – that renowned buzzer warrior – was also up against me. 

While Johnny Gilbert read my name, I snapped my fingers at the camera as a little shout-out to my fellow LGBT vixens watching at home. To my surprise, Alex stepped out onstage afterwards and mimicked my snap, adding, “That’s for you, Louis!” I honestly believe he saved entire villages of gay children with that gesture. It was so rad and funny and unexpected. I laughed to myself about it until the first round categories were revealed, and “NASCAR” was one of them. Then my laughter stopped for eternity.

Andrew cruised through the first round with sweet buzzer elan, racking up $12K. I did well on the “First Ladies by First Names” category and got to say the words “Lemonade Lucy Hayes” on national TV, which felt naughty. Better yet, I got to entertain Alex with my anecdote about interviewing the most electrifying actress of the 1970s – Jane Fonda. Have you seen “The China Syndrome” recently? Survive Jane’s sorcery. I dare you.

In Double Jeopardy!, I started to rebound a bit and plucked a Daily Double in the Arthur Miller category. Andrew was ahead by $6,000, so I decided to wager most of my money. Once the clue was revealed, the first word I saw was “Salem” and my heart, soul, and neurons leapt. Let’s face it, a $1,600 clue about Arthur Miller could be pretty tough – certainly tougher than a reference to “The Crucible.” For whatever reason, it wasn’t. I answered correctly and in a burst of saucy, hasty relief, I snapped my fingers again. This time it was a seismic burst of middle child angst. It was a “Yes, I do recall the Oscar nominations of Joan Allen!” snap. It was a “Yes, I love witches who dance on a Sunday!” snap. It was heaven. The internet turned it into a meme that George Takei found, and I plan on being ecstatic about that for the rest of my life.

I want to tell you that the rest of the game isn’t important, but that’s only because Andrew Haringer got the Final Jeopardy! question right about the Tower of London and I didn’t. Yep, he won. I’d be resentful, except here’s the thing about Jeopardy!: it burns to lose, but it felt – um – good to learn something about the Tower of London. Not kidding! Information is the true currency of Jeopardy! fans, and adding to one’s own trivia bank is a serious, consummate pleasure, even when it means you lose Jeopardy!

Here’s what I take from my Jeopardy! experience: I did it, I loved it, and I got to be myself doing it. As the gay kids say, I was living. Jeopardy! is forever my trivia HQ, and I’m exhilarated I got to make the hajj to Trebekistan. Now I can search GIFs of myself whenever I want to revisit that trek – right after I read about the Best Supporting Actress race of 1977 for a few more hours.

You may also find Louis Virtel on Twitter.

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Behind the Scenes of the Tournament of Champions with Jeopardy! Producer Maggie Speak

Hi, I’m Maggie Speak, one of the producers here at Jeopardy! This summer, while we revisit the Tournament of Champions, I’d like to take you backstage for a behind the scenes peek into my world – the Contestant Department.

If you’ve ever wondered how the interview segment of Jeopardy! gets developed, rest assured it’s not a shot in the dark. Our contestants’ most fascinating life events are gathered by Senior Contestant Coordinator, Corina Nusu, in interviews done backstage. That way, once everyone is on set and it’s time for the personal side of the show, everything looks and sounds smooth.

Speaking of smooth, we have an insurance policy of sorts in that department. Glenn Kagan, Senior Contestant Coordinator, leads the contestants through the practice round that the contestants play before every game. His ability to even out the collective nerves on set before cameras start rolling is uncanny. He seems to have a way with people that helps them get comfortable before appearing on a major quiz show tournament on national television.

Additionally, we also have a former contestant now working with us on the other side of the camera. Aimee Seligstein, who competed in season 30, is now one of our Contestant Coordinators. Her experience behind the podium gives Aimee a unique understanding of the challenges our contestants face when they arrive at the studio, and that insight makes her an invaluable addition to the team.

Be sure to tune in the next two weeks to catch the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.

Unsure of where to watch? Never fear. Check your local listing here.

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Happy Birthday to the One and Only Alex Trebek

We are 32 years into our relationship with Alex Trebek, but we still get excited about July 22nd. So please join us in extending a very happy birthday toast to our favorite host.

Thanks, Alex, for your work ethic, your sense of humor, and for your skill at striking that delicate balance between entertainment and erudition that has made Jeopardy! an institution in the world of entertainment.

On the occasion of Alex’s 75th birthday, we caught up with him to reminisce about another birthday long ago:

“70 years ago, my birthday treat was a last minute thing. I came home from playing in the dirt and was surprised to find that my family had arranged for a pony for my sister and me to have our pictures taken with. Barbara’s picture was taken in front of the house. She’s all dolled up and looks very happy. But because I came home late, the pony was leaving and there was no time for me to clean up. They just put me in the saddle in front of a bush somewhere and grabbed a quick photo. That’s why I wasn’t smiling and maybe why the horse doesn’t look happy either. That was the last time I was unprepared for a birthday photograph.”

Feel free to send your most creative birthday wishes to our venerable host on Twitter @jeopardy and we’ll make sure he gets the message.

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Long-Lost Siblings Reconnect through Jeopardy! Appearance

Sometimes the most pleasant surprises on set take place in between filming. One day, at Stage 10, an audience member raised his hand during a commercial break. When Alex called on him – as he always does when taking questions from the audience – the speaker told a story unlike any we’ve heard on set before. His name was Chris Jacobs, he was a resident of Washington DC, and he met his estranged half-sister by being a 1995 Teen Tournament semifinalist.

“My sister wrote me a letter several years later [after seeing him on TV] saying that she was watching the program in Seattle. She said she never watches Jeopardy! and just happened to turn it on that day…saw my name and my hometown and thought it might be her half-brother.

She later wrote to the newspaper, because this was 1995 and got the press clipping with my parents’ name in it. She said, ‘Oh my god, that’s my half-brother!’

Several years later, she wrote to me. I got a letter in the mail, totally out the blue, saying, ‘By the way, you don’t know me, but I’m your half-sister.’ And I met her.

She actually lives close to me in the Washington DC area. We’ve stayed in touch and it’s a wonderful story. I won $5,000, but I also won a sister by being on Jeopardy! and Ken Jennings has nothing on that.”

After a few decades on the air, we’ve seen a lot happen on Jeopardy!, but this was a first. We love to entertain here at Jeopardy!, but serendipitous situations like this one give us a special kind of joy.

To the reunited siblings: congratulations! We’re so happy that Jeopardy! can help bring people together.

Has Jeopardy! created any similarly special discoveries or occurrences in your life? We’d love to hear. Message us on Facebook.

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Jeopardy! Audience Member Shares Mutual Memento with Alex Trebek, Takes Him on Trip Down Memory Lane

At a recent taping, an audience member named Arlene Wylie raised her hand. When called upon, she showed Alex Trebek a picture of the two of them from 1981 when he hosted Battlestars. Alex loved the picture and they took another one together on stage.

We asked Arlene about the moment, and she provided some glowing context: 

"The original shot was taken on a show called Battlestars that was aired on Christmas Day 1981. Alex Trebek was the host or "Man in Command" as they said back then and I became the champion on that show for 4 more days. I always have said that the money I won was my dowry since I was married 3 months later to my husband, Paul. I had a wonderful time on the set of Jeopardy today while sharing the picture of Alex and me from so long ago. As Alex said, "Was I ever really that young?" Everyone in the audience around us today and the show crew were so friendly and supportive that my husband and I have a whole new set of great memories to take home with us for another 33 years."

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Help us wish Johnny Gilbert a very happy birthday

Today, we celebrate the voice of Jeopardy! Johnny Gilbert, a fixture on our set and your TV, has been with us for decades and has graced eardrums everywhere, every weeknight with the iconic introduction, “This is Jeopardy!”

We’d like to say happy birthday and thank you for being an integral part of the Jeopardy! family and experience, for warming up our audience at every taping and for helping us become one of TV’s sharpest teams (sorry, Pat and Vanna).

Oh, did we mention he has an enviable collection of one-of-a-kind Jeopardy! varsity jackets? With one in nearly every color of the rainbow, he’s single-handedly raised the bar for every high school football team. More on Johnny’s jackets soon, so stay tuned.

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Are these getting too easy? Can you be the first of your friends to finish today's Jeopardy! Brain Trainer?

Click the “Keep Reading” tab below to reveal the solution!

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After 25 Years, Alex Trebek Visits Hometown of Sudbury, Ontario to Find Big Changes

For 31 years, we’ve held Alex Trebek fairly captive in Los Angeles. He hosts Jeopardy! nearly year round and is a true workaholic. In his spare time, he travels and visits some choice haunts (he prefers a small town in England). One thing he hasn’t done much of is reacquaint himself with his Canadian roots.

Recently, Alex returned to his hometown – the largest municipality by geographic size in Ontario, Canada – and “couldn’t believe how many positive changes had occurred. It’s been 25 years since I’ve had a chance to visit my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario.” He continued, “Sudbury has become a world leader in environmental restoration and re-greening,” all while developing a reputation as a world-class hub for mining.

The cliché of “absence makes the heart grow fonder” appears hard to disprove in this case. Now that Alex has had a chance to cozy up to Sudbury again, he’s vocal in his hometown pride. And he’s quick to promote it, too: “With 330 lakes within the city boundaries, it is certainly a great visitor destination. I urge everyone to stop in and do what over a quarter million people a year do: get your picture taken in front of the Big Nickel!” Visitors shouldn’t miss the region’s rich environmental diversity. The mix of urban, suburban, rural and wilderness is beautifully packaged within its modest borders.

Wherever your roots lie – a far-flung town, in front of the TV watching Jeopardy! with family and friends, or elsewhere – we all have them. Let Alex Trebek’s visit home be a reminder to appreciate what made you.

To learn more about Alex’s hometown of Sudbury, Ontario, visit greatersudbury.ca and sudburytourism.ca.

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Dan Feitel Keeps Lucrative Streak Alive at Five, Will Try for Six Tomorrow

Five games deep, Dan Feitel is on a serious hot streak. Heading into this evening’s game, he was one dollar short of $100,000. Currently, his game average now sits at $25,599.60 with a grand total of $127,998. It will take an aggressive challenger or an unforeseen drought to knock Feitel.

A look back at our current champion’s success suggests his wagering strategy plays a key role. While his strategy may not be as aggressive as some champions’, he has created devastating deficits for his competitors. And he’s done so with the kind of savvy of a dedicated student of the game.

Alex Trebek has said that smart players know they’re holding house money. Indeed, that sentiment rings true watching Dan Feitel play. He’s not betting small and has jumped out to multiple big leads when he gets a Daily Double. Much like fellow Season 31 champion, Alex Jacob, he rarely looks back.

Dan’s appearance in the next Tournament of Champions now seems like a safe bet. Even if he loses tomorrow, Feitel is the fourth most winning champion this season trailing only Greg Seroka ($180,401), Alex Jacob ($149,802) and Kerry Greene ($146,598). Should he win tomorrow, and keep the same winnings average, Dan would be the second highest grossing champion of Season 31 with $153,597.60.

Tune in tomorrow evening to see if Dan’s charge towards the top of the winnings list continues. Not sure when and where to tune in? Check your local listing here.

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This is Alex Trebek’s Spirit Animal

Or whatever the kids say these days.

This is the musk ox – a mammal whose roots extend to the Ice Age and Alex Trebek’s favorite animal. If you’ve never heard of the musk ox, don’t be ashamed. Native to the Arctic, musk oxen were at one time an endangered species. Formerly hunted for their meat and qiviut – the finest wool in the world, according to The Musk Ox Farm – the remaining musk oxen of the world live on preserves in Alaska, Norway and Siberia.

When asked why the musk ox is his favorite, Alex responded, “Musk oxen are family oriented, and I like that. When in danger, they form a protective circle with the males facing outward, and the cows and calves in the center. There are very few predators brave enough to attack this formation. Besides that, I like the way their furry coats wave in the breeze when they are running.”

Alex and his family do much more than admire the musk ox. They’ve been devoted activists to the animals themselves. Mark Austin, Executive Director of The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska, shared his gratitude for the Trebeks:

“For over 25 years, the Musk Ox Farm has been honored to bestow the title of Herd Godfather upon Mr. Alex Trebek. The "Friends of the Musk Ox," our membership organization, is vitally important for the financial survival of the project. The most common membership level is the adoption of one of our musk oxen. For every adoption, and there have been many over the years, Mr. Trebek has kindly and personally signed each and every adoption certificate. Members around the globe are thrilled to know that they share an appreciation of the animal and the project with Alex Trebek.”

While providing support via awareness for the musk ox species would be charming enough, the Trebeks are out to affect tangible change. Mark Austin continued by saying, “It hasn't just been his name and status that he has given to the farm either. Alex and Jean are two of our most generous funders. Alex, Jean, and their family last visited the farm in the summer of 2013. They also recently established their family foundation. Since then, Alex and Jean have donated annually. These generous donations have allowed us to improve facilities, further herd health, and allow for proactive pasture management that makes it possible to do our very best work. Alex's friendship, promotion, and generosity have contributed to the success of the organization in so many ways. We are eternally grateful.”

We’re thrilled to share the news of our host’s care and affinity for this uncommon animal. If you’d like to learn more about all things musk ox and The Musk Ox Farm, go to muskoxfarm.org.

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Alex Trebek's Mustache through the Years

As the man behind the lectern for 31 seasons of Jeopardy!, there’s no denying Alex Trebek’s star power. Over that time, he has amassed 5 Emmys of his own as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award – not to mention helping the show secure 32 to its name as well. Shockingly, his mustache has won exactly zero. Sadly, it has lived a life in the shadow of his nose, both literally and figuratively, for all those years. Alex Trebek’s mustache, TV’s most famous facial hair (we’ll claim it!), has graced screens and been a point of manly reference in numerous Internet listicles and on Saturday Night Live, among other TV appearances/impersonations. That said, Alex’s mustache hasn’t always had it so easy. Every once in a while, it goes on sabbatical, as it currently is, which Alex has attributed to his wife’s preference. For the sake of history, let’s take a look at the development of TV’s most famous facial hair.

Additionally, some of Jeopardy!’s past champions voiced their preference, which you can enjoy below.

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Andrew Haringer Extends Streak to Five Games

Yesterday’s four-day champion, Andrew Haringer, is today’s five-day champion. With that, he’s a serious contender for the next Tournament of Champions.

His aggressive betting strategy has paid off consistently, and he’s on the right path to challenging some of the season’s most impressive contestants. Should he extend his run to six games, he would only have Greg Seroka to dethrone to become the longest-standing champion of Season 31. However, his total winnings aren’t exactly in the same stratosphere as Seroka who ended with $180,401; Alex Jacob finished with $149,802 and Kerry Greene finished with $146,598. Haringer finished his fifth game with $96,599.

Check your local listing to see how Andrew fares tonight – can he can break into the upper echelon of this season?

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The Quest for Five: Andrew Haringer Can Join List of Potential Tournament of Champions Contestants Tonight

As Season 31 continues, the question remains: who will we see square off in the next Tournament of Champions? A highly anticipated event, the list of potential competitors features some particularly heavy hitters with Greg Seroka, Alex Jacob and Kerry Greene currently leading the way.

Current four-day champion, Andrew Haringer of Squamish, British Columbia, has a chance to claim his fifth win this evening and join his fellow champions. A quick scan of this season’s champions shows Andrew is the only Canadian on the list – though our resident Canadian, Alex Trebek, is a champion in his own right.

Andrew has an aggressive betting strategy to thank for that. In a lucky series of events, he saw a fellow competitor fall after responding incorrectly to last night’s Final Jeopardy! clue. Andrew bet big, responded correctly, and pulled it out, living to play another day.

The excitement of Andrew’s run coincides with our 7,000th episode this evening, which adds to the already-long list of reasons to tune in. Check your local listing and be sure to celebrate 7,000 with us this evening!

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Charity Organizations Tell Us Why They Are the Real Winners of Celebrity Jeopardy!

Celebrity Jeopardy! is a special occurrence for everyone at Jeopardy!. Sure, fans get to see their favorite celebrities compete against each other; and sure, those fans get to compete against their favorite celebrities from home. But most importantly, the celebrities behind each podium play for the charities of their choice – each of which is guaranteed to benefit monetarily from their appearance. No matter what, no organization left empty-handed. How big a donation they received depended on how well their celebrity played.

The money won by Jeopardy!’s celebrity contestants will have a profound impact on many of the charitable organizations, and many of the organizations have already expressed their gratitude. Below are some accounts of the real and positive change made possible by Celebrity Jeopardy!.

Vince Gilligan, a contestant on Monday’s show and series creator and executive producer of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, played for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond, where his appearance garnered $14,900 for the development of Richmond’s youth.

Sarah Craig, of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, told us about the viewing party that took place in Richmond to cheer Gilligan on. “I was out of town which nearly broke my heart, but I got text updates every few minutes. Apparently the kids really got into it, shouting answers and cheering. They were disappointed about Final Jeopardy!, of course, but also grasped the significance of Vince's choice to support them.

One of the kids who attended announced he would be on Jeopardy! one day and support BGCMR. This was particularly touching to me. Knowing he could be at this event and envision a fantastic future for himself is the impact we just can't measure.

Thanks so much for working with me to make sure this event happened for them.”

Neil Flynn, who won Monday’s game against Vince Gilligan and Debra Messing, claimed $50,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. They said of his donation: “One child every second enters a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment. Donations, like these funds won by Neil, help hospitals provide the very best care for the 10 million local kids treated every year.“

Aaron Rodgers, Tuesday’s winner, played for The MACC Fund – a childhood cancer research fund – and made a sizable donation by racking up $50,000 in prize money.

John Cary, of The MACC Fund, wrote: “The MACC Fund is not a big, national charity, but we have a big heart for kids and lots of great people like Aaron who help. We have given $52 million+ to kids cancer and blood disorders research. Thanks for what YOU do to help MACC help kids. Go to sleep tonight proud knowing you have helped a child battling cancer or blood disorders.”

A world-class doctor who works with The MACC Fund, and is often the last hope for kids’ bone marrow transplantations, wrote a particularly moving note. It was directed towards Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin – a close friend of The MACC Fund and of Aaron Rodgers – who hosts Aaron’s weekly radio shows.

“The awareness and dollars raised since Aaron joined us has catalyzed a number of projects, none more important than making our clinical trials program world class. This has allowed us to open up experimental clinical trials that may help save lives.

I have a 2-year-old boy who is alive today because we put him on an experimental drug to treat a BMT complication two weeks ago. Without that infrastructure, we can't get that drug and the outcome is likely different.

So, thank you for everything you have done with our very caring, smart and talented quarterback to help the MACC Fund.”

Additionally, in a phone call from John Cary to our supervising producer, Rocky Schmidt, a big detail was divulged with regard to how impactful that donation is: While The MACC Fund gives $3.2 million in grants each year, they give eight researchers at University of Wisconsin, Madison, an annual grant of $50,000. Rocky notes, “what we/Aaron Rodgers gave to the charity funds one researcher’s grant for a year…who knows what that person might discover about helping to eradicate childhood cancers.”

CNN anchor John Berman won $50,000 for Friends of Karen, which supports critically ill children and their families. They were thrilled when John took home the prize for them, and said, “We will use the $50,000 to help families who are caring for a child with cancer meet their everyday needs (like paying their rent, feeding their family, keeping their lights on and paying their child's medical bills) and feel confident and secure during this health crisis. Every dollar will go directly to help our families.”

Bellamy Young has been a long-time supporter of Operation Blankets of Love. In fact, for the last two years, she organized successful collection drives of pet supplies for the cast and crew of “Scandal,” and she selected OBOL as the recipient of the $50,000 she won in Thursday’s game. Operation Blankets of Love's mission is to improve the well-being of homeless animals and increase chances for survival and adoption – with the ultimate aim of eliminating animal homelessness. 

Eileen Smulson, founder and executive director of OBOL, said: “We want to take $10,000 of the $50,000 and ask Bellamy to have a certain project named after her and her rescue dog, Bean. No matter what she picks, it will help to save the lives of homeless animals. OBOL provides and donates recycled, and new, aid and comfort items to homeless animals that consist of stray, sick, neglected, owner-dumped and abused animals to shelters, rescues, pets of the homeless, fosters and sanctuaries. Some of the those items are blankets, towels, pet beds, food, treats, toys, dog igloos, grooming supplies and other pet supplies for their survival and well-being. Due to having the necessary supplies donated by OBOL, the rescues are able to use more of their very limited financial resources to pull more dogs and cats from shelters to avoid euthanization. The shelters have NO BUDGET for any comfort items across the country.

The $40,000 left will help us to continue and expand to get to pick up, collect and distribute the items to donate to several thousand homeless animals. This includes the pets of the homeless. Now, they are able to keep their dogs fed, warm, and healthy. Since OBOL provides leashes and collars for their safety while living on the streets, they are able to avoid having their dogs removed by animal control and be euthanized. The funds will also be used for transportation and public outreach, as we travel over 600 miles a week.”

Penn Jillette won $50,000 in Friday’s game, and chose to donate it to Opportunity Village, Las Vegas. Dawn Newberg, Chief Development and Operations Officer, said: “The money won by Penn on Celebrity Jeopardy! will go towards programs and services that Opportunity Village provides for the over 3,000 children and adults with intellectual and related disabilities that we serve annually. Penn’s winnings give OVIPs the chance to live independent, creative, and productive lives by giving them the choices they need to succeed. I would like to thank Penn on behalf of the individuals we serve and the entire staff at Opportunity Village for his love and for his belief that every person should have the chance to excel.”

While we’re big on entertainment and education here at Jeopardy!, we’re proud to provide a philanthropic platform, too. We hope you enjoyed Celebrity Jeopardy! week. Be sure to browse the website for highlights.

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AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 75TH ANNIVERSARY

Category ideas for Jeopardy! come from many places, and sometimes are suggestions made by outside parties.  That is what happened with today's "American Ballet Theatre 75th Anniversary" category.  Last September, I received a request from the manager of Press and Online Media of ABT.  Several years ago, she had seen a category that we did with the Metropolitan Opera, and she told me that she had literally waited years to contact me, until they were about to celebrate the 75th Anniversary milestone.  We collaborated for months on ideas, and talked about various performers that might be available, and in February, we travelled to New York City to record the various dancers' clues that you see today.

We had an ABT ballet master with us all day, as we recorded the clues to make sure we were absolutely accurate.   ABT also provided us access to the wonderful performances highlighted in the category.  AND.... believe me, we didn't do all this for just one category.  In the future you will see other ballet clues on the show (and maybe some very special "moves"!).

-Rocky Schmidt, Supervising Producer