'Jeopardy!' Tournament Will Donate $250,000 To Northridge Shelter

NORTHRIDGE, CA — Northridge homeless shelters for 250,000, please.

On Monday, 15 “Jeopardy!” winners will compete in the show’s “Tournament of Champions,” and the $250,000 grand prize will be matched and donate to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless in Northridge. The shelter, located in the former of the Skateland roller skating rink, was renamed the Alex Trebek Center in March thanks to a $500,000 gift from the late “Jeopardy!” host.

The 23,000-square foot interim housing facility, run by Pacoima-based homeless nonprofit Hope of the Valley, will contain 107 beds and provide 300 people mental health services, job training and placement, substance abuse counseling, housing services, life skills training, medical care, and more when it is opened.

Over the years, “Jeopardy!” has donated a total of $1,250,125 to guest hosts’ charities of choice. The amount is determined by the cumulative winnings of contestants during their weeks as host. Monday’s tournament is hosted by 2017 tournament winner Austin David “Buzzy” Cohen, an LA record music executive who won $164,603 over nine games in April-May 2016.

The Trebek Center was inaugurated in March by Councilmember John Lee, Trebek’s family, and Hope of the Valley executives Ken Craft and Rowan Vansleve. The moment was bittersweet, as it represents a heated, ongoing debate about homelessness and affordable housing in CD12, and the closing of a decades-old beloved rink.

To learn more about the Trebek Center and how you can help, visit Hope of the Valley's website.

See also:
Lee Helps Welcome Trebek Center At Skateland Site | Northridge, CA Patch
Skateland Rink Closes, Will Be Renamed Trebek Center | Northridge, CA Patch
Valley Men Run 125-Mile 'Ultra Marathon' To Stop Homelessness | Northridge, CA Patch