Did Aaron Rodgers score a touchdown as ‘Jeopardy!’ host?
Aaron Rodgers’ twoweek stint as fill-in “Jeopardy!” host has been fun to watch. It also has been a boon for needy Northern California businesses.
“Jeopardy!” announced Friday that a donation of $236,725 will be made to the North Valley Community Foundation, a hub for social change in the area, where Rodgers, a Chico native, grew up.
The amount donated equals the cumulative winnings of the contestants who competed during the two weeks Rodgers served as guest host. The donation will be designated as grants from the Aaron Rodgers Small-Business COVID-19 Fund to help save small businesses that have suffered during the coronavirus pandemic in and around his hometown.
The Athletic reported that Rodgers, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player and former Cal standout, recently partnered with the North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) to create the fund. Rodgers donated $1 million of his own and has helped raise hundreds of thousands more by attaching his name to the cause.
The NVCF has provided grants in different amounts to 80 small businesses in Northern California.
Danielle Marie Ius, a Chico restaurant owner and one of several people quoted in The Athletic report, said, “The business suffered, but because of Aaron Rodgers, it’s gonna be OK. And I’m just so grateful for him. I’ve cried a lot the last year to people I don’t even know. Rodgers brightened all of our days a little bit.”
It’s good to know that Rodgers hasn’t forgotten his NorCal roots and is using his clout to help folks in need. Meanwhile, how did he fare as “Jeopardy!” host?
We certainly loved it every time he uttered “Go Bears!” — a shoutout to UC Berkeley and the football program he helped boost to national prominence. And judging from most of the critiques we’ve seen, Rodgers, a former “Celebrity Jeopardy!” winner, did a solid job.
Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal called Rodgers “surprisingly agile.” And Liz Roscher of Yahoo Sports wrote about how he got “noticeably better” over the two-week stretch.
Rodgers completed his “Jeopardy!” run Friday and Anderson Cooper takes over for two weeks starting April 19.