Celebrity Jeopardy winner W. Kamau Bell donated his $1 million winnings to DonorsChoose, funding over 200 projects at schools in Oakland and Mobile, Alabama.
Oakland-based stand-up comic and TV host W. Kamau Bell was the big winner on Celebrity Jeopardy! last Wednesday — with the final winning answer, “Bob Newhart,” securing the bag. The Chronicle reports that Bell donated his $1 million charity winnings to the nonprofit DonorsChoose, which funds public school classroom projects.
The donation will support over 200 projects in Oakland schools, including Castlemont High School, where Bell made his announcement on Thursday. His gift will also fund projects in Mobile, Alabama, where his father lives and was born and raised.
Bell’s donation will help provide crucial resources like books, art supplies, and even a refrigerator for a farm-to-fork program. As public education faces ongoing financial struggles, especially in Oakland, Bell’s contribution is a timely effort to support teachers who often spend their own money on classroom needs.
Bell, who credits Oakland for shaping his life, emphasized the importance of giving back:
Most teachers spend money out of their own paycheck to support their students. And so this is a way to say we should stop doing that. Until our country understands that we need to fund public education better, this is one way to do it.
Previously: Margaret Cho Dominates Celebrity Jeopardy! and Advances To Semifinals Along With W. Kamau Bell
Image: W. Kamau Bell appears with Jennifer Hudson on The Jennifer Hudson Show. (Photo by Chris Haston/WBTV via Getty Images).
