GEORGE TAKEI WINS OVER $100,000 FOR NATIONAL MUSEUM

Actor George Takei, Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees for the Japanese American National Museum, recently appeared on national television on the ABC-TV program, "Wanna Bet?", and wound up winning over $100,000 for his favorite nonprofit organization: the Japanese American National Museum.

The premise of the show revolves around individuals or groups of people who claim they can accomplish a certain task or feat, often within a time limit. Four celebrities are then asked to bet on whether the challenge can be done or not. Celebrities begin with $25,000 and can bet any or all of it. If the celebrity chooses correctly, they win their bet. If they choose incorrectly, they lose their wager. The celebrity with the most money at the end of the show gets to contribute all of it to his or her favorite charity.

Takei, well known as one of the original cast members of the 1960s "Star Trek" television series as well as six feature films, appeared on "Wanna Bet?" with radio personality Harland Williams, comedian Tom Green, and Sherri Shepherd of ABC-TV’s show, "The View". The panel had to bet whether they thought a man could use a 45-pound truck tire as a hoola hoop for 45 seconds, whether a team of female NASCAR fans could successfully change four tires and gas up a race car in less than a minute and twenty seconds, and whether a group of professional movers could load up an assortment of couches and chairs into a truck in less than 2 ½ minutes. The most unusual challenge was a man who claimed he could identify the artist and album on a CD while blindfolded, using nothing but his tongue.

After some struggles with the size of his initial wagers, Takei began betting large amounts of his stake. Going into the last round, he had amassed $53,100, tops on the panel, and he proceeded to bet $53,050. When he correctly predicted the movers would load the couches in the allotted time, he wound up with $106,150, by far the most money. All of the funds were then donated to the National Museum, but Takei made a point of allotting $100,000 to the Museum’s endowment fund.

"As Chairman Emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum, I was pleased to have had the opportunity to support this important institution in this somewhat unusual fashion," Takei explained. "I want to thank the producers and staff of 'Wanna Bet?' for giving me the chance to participate and for providing the funds that will be put to good use. I have designated that $100,000 will go to the Japanese American National Museum’s endowment fund, which will help ensure the long-term future of the Museum."

As with many nonprofits and most universities and colleges, the National Museum has an endowment fund, in which the principal accumulates through donations and is invested. The fund produces interest and that money is used to help pay for the institution’s operational costs and other expenses. The larger the endowment becomes, the greater the amount of funds available annually for the institution.

"We are thrilled that George was able to appear on national television and earn over $100,000 for the Japanese American National Museum," stated Akemi Kikumura Yano, President and CEO of the National Museum. "I thank George and the producers of 'Wanna Bet?' for making this generous donation possible. I also applaud his choice of donating the funds to our endowment. Donations to the Museum’s endowment help to ensure the long-term financial stability of our institution in the same manner people contribute money for their retirements through their 401k accounts and other savings. While our supporters may not be able to go on TV shows and earn prize money like George, they all can follow his example and donate funds to our endowment to ensure the Museum’s future."

A long-time supporter of the National Museum, Takei served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He donated his redress monies to the National Museum and remains active as a Trustee. Besides his Star Trek work, Takei had a recurring role on the popular NBC series, "Heroes", and is often heard as the announcer for the Howard Stern radio show.

Hosted by British comedy sensations Ant and Dec, "Wanna Bet?" is executive-produced by Phil Gurin (The Singing Bee, Weakest Link) and Marc Jansen (Lingo) from The Gurin Co.

Go to http://abc.go.com/primetime/wannabet/index?pn=index for more information on the ABC-TV show, "Wanna Bet?".