A Jeopardy contested who died last week won both shows on which she appeared, and her winnings of more than $30,000 will be donated to cancer research charities, according to CNN.
Cindy Stowell, a 41-year-old science content developer who died on Dec. 5 after battling cancer, knew she had only about six months to live when she was invited to a Jeopardy audition. She told the show of her intentions with the winnings, then passed the audition and taped her first appearance on Aug. 31. Stowell’s story was much talked about on social media last week especially as the The New York Daily News sent out an insensitive tweet about her recent death.
“Cindy came on Jeopardy to play the game she loved and in doing so, she was able to make a contribution to cancer research in the hopes that no one else would have to go through what she did,” her family said in a statement.
Jeopardy‘s director of communications told CNN “she is unaware of a contestant ever passing away prior to an episode airing for the first time.”
In the sports world, Jimmy V week occurred the week Stowell passed away. In part of Valvano’s famous ESPY speech, he said donate to cancer research because although “it may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love.”
Stowell’s $30,000 can go a long way toward that mission.
[CNN]
