A California man who won $145,000 on Wheel Of Fortune has said that he is going to give all his winnings away to charity.
Scott Kolbrenner said that the money would be donated to two charities, Uplift Family Services, and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Scott Kolbrenner could have used the money on himself and his family but instead, he’s giving all of his winnings to charity.
“It’s been a dark time,” Kolbrenner said on “Good Morning America”. “When I went on the show, I was doing it for the fun of it, and I said to my wife … ‘If I do OK here, anything that I get, let’s give it to charity. We’re very fortunate. Let’s see if we can support some others who aren’t as fortunate as we are.”
Kolbrenner is on the board of Uplift Family Services, which helps children and their families manage and recover from trauma and related challenges. The organization shared words of gratitude after his win.
“We are so honored and grateful that Scott chose to play for us,” the group wrote on its Facebook page.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank also praised his action online, writing that Kolbrenner’s act furthers its mission. “It takes the whole community to fight food insecurity and the critical work that we do is possible with the help of people like Scott Kolbrenner,” the food bank wrote. “We are so grateful to be part of such a supportive community.”
Kolbrenner said that Hollywood, despite being known for its “glitz and glamor,” also has struggling communities that are underrepresented. “What I was hoping with the ‘Wheel’ is to shine a light on them,” Kolbrenner said.
The words “Flowing white gown” tacked on $100,000 to the $45,000 Kolbrenner had already won. His wife knew about his win before it aired, he said. “My wife was the only person that knew what happened that night of the taping,” Kolbrenner said.
“It was complete and utter shock for everybody in our lives, and they were elated about it.”
