For more than three decades, viewers came to know Alex Trebek as the face of the hit TV game show “Jeopardy!” But what was lesser-known about Trebek was his charitable work. The beloved host devoted a lot of time and money to a number of causes, from health care to hairy beasts.
Pancreatic cancer
Two months after Trebek was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2019, he moved the crowd at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN) PurpleStride Los Angeles walk.
“What we have heard from today’s speakers is that there is always hope,” Trebek said from the podium. He had plenty of hope and support – some 200 family members, friends, and coworkers joined him, and “Team Alex” quickly became one of the event’s top fundraising teams.
Many fans and former contestants also stepped up to support Trebek. Among them were “Jeopardy!” champions James Holzhauer and Steven Grade, who encouraged viewers to donate to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research, the largest private funder of such research.
The Trebek Family Foundation
In 2011, Trebek and his wife, Jean, formed a private foundation, the Trebek Family Foundation, to accommodate the ever-growing number of requests from charities.
“Once you form a charitable foundation it becomes easier to give,” Trebek told the Washingtonian the following year. “It’s brought about a nice change.”
Below are just a few of Trebek’s favorite interests he supported over the years with his time, checkbook, or both.
Geography
Trebek had a lifelong passion for geography. He said he learned the subject studying atlases and geography books for fun, and even looked forward to medical appointments so he could read National Geographic in the waiting room.
In addition to his “Jeopardy!” hosting duties, Trebek also moderated the National Geographic Bee for 25 years. National Geographic Society, the nonprofit behind the contest, credited Trebek with making it a prominent national broadcast.
“He’s been a great spokesperson in terms of knowing about our world and inspiring others to care about it,” said Mary Lee Elden, then the executive director of geography competitions, before Trebek’s last bee in 2013.
Trebek, who grew up in Ontario, also supported The Royal Canadian Geographic Society and its youth contest, the Canadian Geographic Challenge, which he helped launch.
“I love working with young people, and seeing how bright these young geographers are,” he told the RCGS. “All events are geographic. They affect us directly.”
Trebek was an RCGS Fellow and Gold Medal recipient. In 2016, the nonprofit named him Honorary President, and a few years later renamed its prestigious geographic literacy award after him.
“Alex has done so much for geographic literacy over the course of his career,” said John Geiger, CEO of the RCGS. “He has helped to inspire thousands of young people to learn more about our country and our planet.”
Film
Trebek was one of the biggest stars on television, but cinema held a special place in his heart.
He supported the American Film Institute through his foundation and hosted the sold-out AFI Great American Movie Quiz at the Hollywood Bowl in 2011. He and his wife attended AFI tributes for Jane Fonda, Sophia Loren, Steve Martin, and Denzel Washington.
A self-described “lover of classic films,” Trebek particularly enjoyed meeting fellow fans of the genre.
“There are a lot of us out there that love classic films, and that’s a good thing,” he told Turner Classic Movies in 2019. (TCM and CNN are both part of WarnerMedia.) Trebek moderated trivia competitions aboard several TCM cruises, hosted screenings at TCM Film Festivals, and emceed the late TCM host Robert Osborne’s 20th anniversary tribute.
Trebek himself appeared in several films such as “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Rain Man,” “Groundhog Day,” and “Charlie’s Angels” in cameo roles.
Musk Ox
Trebek’s favorite animal was the musk ox, a hoofed wooly mammal native to the Arctic. He said he liked them for their uniquely strong family dynamic, and “besides that, I like the way their furry coats wave in the breeze when they are running,” he told “Jeopardy!”
By the 1950s, demand for its meat and qiviut (soft inner wool) almost pushed the species to extinction. Today, the Musk Ox Development Corporation, operating on the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska, raises and cares for the oxen and promotes sustainable qiviut production.
Trebek’s history with the nonprofit spanned more than 30 years. He visited the ox farm several times and became one of MODC’s most generous donors. As “Herd Godfather,” Trebek personally signed every honorary adoption certificate sent to fellow supporters.
Mark Austin, the farm’s executive director, told CNN affiliate KTVA Trebek was a lot like his favorite animal: “Heart of a musk ox, tough as a musk ox.”
