CULVER CITY (CNS) - The 2021 “Jeopardy!'' Tournament of Champions begins airing tonight with 2017 winner Buzzy Cohen serving as host and the field of 15 contestants including a Los Angeles-area resident.
Ryan Hemmel is a four-time champion in episodes broadcast in November, winning $104,526. He is a solutions engineer for Koreatown-based ProSearch, which provides comprehensive discovery and compliance solutions to corporate legal departments and law firms
Hemmel's episode is scheduled to air Wednesday.
The $250,000 grand prize will be matched and donated to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless at the former site of the Skateland roller rink in Northridge. The purchase of the rink was financed in part by a $500,000 donation from the late “Jeopardy!'' host Alex Trebek and his wife Jean.
The planned 107-bed bridge housing center will be operated by the Pacoima-based Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission and will provide mental health services, job training and placement, substance abuse counseling, housing navigation, life skill training and medical care.
“Jeopardy!'' has donated $1,250,125 to its guest hosts' charities of choice. The amount is determined by the cumulative winnings of the contestants during their weeks as host.
A $257,988 contribution was made to Media Fellowship House for “60 Minutes'' correspondent Bill Whitaker's two weeks as host, which concluded Friday.
The donation will be applied to secure and expand fair housing programs, the Dorothy James Scholarship Program for Delaware County high school seniors pursuing continuing education and Alternative Diversion Program.
The Media Fellowship House in the Philadelphia suburb of Media, Pennsylvania, focuses on creating programs, organizing coalitions and facilitating conversations that promote diversity and understanding with a focus on fair housing, education and racial justice advocacy work.
The house was founded in 1944 by James and three other women of different races who wanted to promote fellowship and understanding by creating a space for a diverse community to come together.
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