Part of W. Kamau Bell's $1M 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' winnings to go toward Oakland teachers
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Comedian and commentator W. Kamau Bell made a special visit to Castlemont High School in Oakland on Thursday, fresh off his Celebrity Jeopardy! win.
Bell announced DonorsChoose as the recipient of the $1 million prize to the charity of his choice. It is a fundraising platform similar to GoFundMe that many teachers use to purchase stuff for their classrooms.
Many teachers in Oakland use the platform.
"I feel like I was raised here, here in Oakland, CA," Bell said in front of students and teachers. "So I hope it helps you."
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The money will fund more than 200 projects in Oakland schools, including more than 20 at Castlemont High.
"It made me feel good, you know, help Oakland in general, or help Castlemont," said Castlemont High Freshman Nasir Obasohan. "... Make the school a better place."
One of the projects being funded is a refrigerator for a farm-to-fork program.
"It's good to know that us at OUSD and our Oakland teachers are being seen and identified that we are limited in resources, and that someone is here to support us," said Devynn Taylor, Community Health Equity Academy Director at Castlemont High. He had started the online fundraiser and was relieved to see it being funded.
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"There's any number of things that teachers need, and teachers go into their pockets," Bell said. "Most teachers spend money out of their own paycheck to support their students. And so this is a way to say we should stop doing that. Until our country understands that we need to fund public education better, this is one way to do it."
Funds will also go to other DonorsChoose school fundraisers, including in some cities where Bell performs standup comedy and in Mobile, Alabama, where his father lives.
Bell's knowledge of pop culture helped him win the final answer, with the answer of Bob Newhart.
He bet everything but a dollar, a bet that paid off and will now help students and teachers in Oakland.
