“Jeopardy!” guest-host Robin Roberts celebrated what would have been Alex Trebek’s 81st birthday with a special message Thursday.
Roberts opened the show: “Today is a special day. It’s July 22 and would have been Alex Trebek’s 81st birthday.
“He was a kind, intelligent, and philanthropic man, which is why I am incredibly proud to say we’ve raised nearly $100,000 for Be the Match! a wonderful charity that is dedicated to helping every patient get the life-saving transplant they need.
“Alex loved this game, so let’s celebrate him and his legacy by playing the game he loved.”
Robin Roberts pays tribute to Alex Trebek, who would have celebrated his 81st birthday today. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1YG17BsPPp
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) July 22, 2021
Roberts has loved hosting “Jeopardy!”, taking fans behind the scenes in a clip for “Good Morning America” earlier this week.
As she wrapped up her week of hosting, it was announced that the show had raised a whopping $164,410 for Be The Match, in honour of Trebek’s birthday.
A press release confirmed, “Roberts selected Be The Match®, the National Marrow Donor Program®, to receive a donation equal to the winnings of each of the contestants that appeared on ‘Jeopardy!’ during her time as guest host.
“Be The Match helps patients battling blood cancers like leukemia and blood diseases like sickle cell get a second chance at life through life-saving blood stem cell or marrow transplants. The organization also provides guidance, support and funds to help patients before, during and after transplant.”
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Savannah Guthrie, Anderson Cooper, Aaron Rodgers, Dr. Oz, and Mayim Bialik have all guest-hosted the show since Trebek’s death last year. LeVar Burton is set to host the show next week.
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Trebek passed away after a long battle with cancer on November 8.
