ST. LOUIS — St. Louis native Joe Buck was the final guest host of Jeopardy! this week, and his stint on the show is bringing some much-needed funding to a local nonprofit.
During each guest's turn hosting, they chose a charity, and Jeopardy! would match the contestants' winnings in the form of a donation. With Buck at the podium, that money went to KidSmart, a charity in St. Louis he has been involved with for nearly 20 years that helps kids in need get school supplies.
"Very simply, the money that's raised goes directly to underprivileged kids who need basic school supplies," Buck said. "The stuff we take for granted, they don't have."
Lucky for KidSmart, Buck's stint on the show overlapped with the dominant winning streak of PhD student Matt Amodio. Over the course of five days, Matt and his fellow contestants pulled in $159,601.
Fresh off becoming one of the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Buck stepped into the spotlight again with the hosting stint.
Buck talked with Jeopardy! about why it was something he wanted to do, his memories of Alex Trebek and what his family is looking forward to. You can read and watch the full interview by clicking here.
Buck said once he was immersed in the environment of the show, it gave him an even greater appreciation for what the program produced.
"I was just a fan. I was somebody that uses it as appointment television. It's a way for me to see if any of my education from high school, or college or conversations at parties has stuck," Buck told Jeopardy!. "But now to be on the inside of it, see how it works, see the intensity of the game ... I will go home with a newfound appreciation for something I already appreciated."