Alex Trebek is battling Stage 4 cancer but made an appearance at the 2019 Panda Game
Longtime Jeopardy! host and University of Ottawa alumnus Alex Trebek is giving his alma mater a $2.1 million boost, bringing his total donations to $9.5 million.
Trebek graduated from U of O with a philosophy degree in 1961 but he still has a strong presence on campus — the Alumni Hall is named after him and his previous donations established the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue in 2017.
This money from Trebek’s most recent donation will be directed toward the forum in his name, used to “support projects by 12 research institutes and centres working on complex problems facing Canada and the world,” the university said in a press release.
“Trebek Scholars” will take the lead on these projects that dive into issues such as transitioning to a green economy and prepare for aging societies.
The forum “gives students the unique opportunity to grow and learn outside the classroom by listening to some of the most prominent researchers, professionals and dignitaries in Canada, and that is truly important,” Trebek said in the release.
Trebek was in town on Saturday for the Panda Game. He took to the field of TD Place for the coin toss to kick off the game. The Gee-Gees went on to win the annual showdown against the Carleton Ravens 32-10.
Trebek, 79, announced he is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March of this year. In August, Trebek said he was “on the mend.” He then started chemotherapy again in September when his “numbers went south – dramatically and quickly.”
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Trebek told CTV News in an interview published last Friday. “I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life … if it happens, why should I be afraid that?”
