“Survivor” winner Mike Gabler says he’ll donate entire $1 million prize to veterans in need

After successful season 43 of “Survivor,” Mike Gabler introduced he’ll donate his $1 million prize to veterans in want. 

Gabler, a coronary heart valve specialist from Houston, Texas, revealed to host Jeff Probst within the after-show that he could be placing his prize cash towards a trigger pricey to him.

“There are individuals who want that cash extra, and I’ll donate the complete prize — the complete million-dollar prize, in my father’s identify, Robert Gabler, who was a Inexperienced Beret — to veterans in want who’re recovering from psychiatric issues, PTSD and curb the suicide epidemic,” stated Gabler, who was named the season’s “Sole Survivor.” 

As the choice was cheered on by his fellow castmates, Gabler, 52, the second-oldest winner ever on the present, stated “all of us did this.” 

“We’re gonna save lives, we’re gonna do one thing good… Million {dollars} goes to them. We made historical past guys,” he stated. 

Gabler added he had a number of members of his household and buddies within the army. When requested by Probst if he was wealthy, Gabler stated he wasn’t and has “labored very arduous.” 

“However I noticed being by means of this expertise, I’m wealthy at house,” he stated. “I’ve a tremendous life at house. I’ve a tremendous household. I’ve superb buddies. I must be a greater husband, I must be a greater father, I must be a greater brother, son. I’ll do all these issues similar to all of us are going to do this after we go house.”

He informed CBS Bay Area that successful Survivor was “surreal” for him as a fan of the present, and his donation towards veterans was about doing “one thing good with the cash.” 

“Whereas I’ve by no means been within the service myself, to have the respect to serve them is fairly profound to me,” he stated. 

Survivor airs on CBS and Paramount+. Season 44 premieres on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Christopher Brito

Christopher Brito is a social media producer and trending author for CBS Information, specializing in sports activities and tales that contain problems with race and tradition.