Alex Trebek passed away earlier in 2021 after battling cancer. The dapper TV personality's wardrobe is now going to help people looking for jobs.
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away in January 2021 and the charming TV personality's family is keeping his legacy alive. Trebek, who died at the age of 80 after battling cancer, was always dapper and his extensive wardrobe was part of what made him an impeccable game show host. It would seem like a waste to let his iconic clothes gather dust in storage then.
As it turns out, Trebek's family is donating his clothes to someone who would need them more. The game show host's son Matt has revealed his family's decision to give the legendary man's wardrobe to charity. Hundreds of pieces of clothing were given to The Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides work, career training, housing opportunities, and more to those who have struggled with addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.
"During his last day on set, Alex extolled the virtues of everyone opening up their hands and their hearts to those who are suffering," the game show's executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement, as per USA Today. "Donating his wardrobe to those who are working to rebuild their lives is the perfect way to begin to honor that last request," he added.
Jeopardy! and Alex's family have donated a large portion of our late host's wardrobe to @TheDoeFund, an organization that provides paid work, housing, and training to underserved Americans with histories of addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.https://t.co/BEKqzlQ5Xn pic.twitter.com/0CxoEEpxzA
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 9, 2021
They donated hundreds of pieces of clothing. "We understand the enormous loss Matt and Jean are going through, as well as their incredible resilience in the face of hardship. Last week, The Doe Fund's Founder and President of 35 years, my husband George McDonald, passed away," The Doe Fund's president Harriet McDonald said in a statement. "I'm thankful that George got to see Alex's suits delivered to the people we serve before he left us. This generous gift honors the legacies of both men, and I know they're smiling down on us."
The clothes will be given to people who are part of the Doe Fund's Ready, Willing & Able program so they can wear them to job interviews.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Matt said that Trebek would have appreciated what they did. "This kind of just fits into what he believed in -- passing along kindness to others, so it's nice to see that it still continues even after he's gone," he said.
Among the items donated were 14 suits, 58 dress shirts, 300 neckties, 25 polo shirts, 14 sweaters, and nine sports coats. "When you think that they shoot, you know, five shows a day, two days a week, they need to constantly make different combinations, so they had a large wardrobe," Matt said.
He also added that his father was "pretty dapper" and "definitely had his own particular taste in the way that he would dress." Matt added, "I remember when I was growing up and he would try to dress me in suits. I think our styles differed, but he was obviously right with how he went about things."
He also spoke about how he, his mother, and his sister are handling their loss. "It's definitely been an adjustment, but fortunately, my mom, my sister and I are all very close, so we're good," he said. "We remember him and keep trying to move on together," he added.
Trebek, who was married to Jean, was able to spend his last day with his wife. "He had a swing in his backyard he loved, he actually rebuilt it earlier this year," said Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, according to Oprah Mag. "Even in his book, he described that he wanted his final day to be sitting on the swing next to his wife Jean, kind of watching the horizon," he continued. "And he got to do that. He was coherent, he wasn't in pain, and the fact that he had a nice final day makes all of us in the Jeopardy! family feel that much better," he added.
References:
https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a31251415/alex-trebek-wife-jean/
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Gregg DeGuire
