Mike Gabler, a native Texan now living in Idaho, emerged as the Sole Survivor winner of a $1 million prize on CBS's season finale of Survivor.Mike Gabler, a native Texan now living in Idaho, emerged as the Sole Survivor and winner of a $1 million prize on CBS’s season finale ofBut the 52-year-old heart-valve specialist from Meridian, Idaho, won’t have his winnings for long.
Moments after he became the Survivor 43 winner on Wednesday, he announced that he would be donating his entire $1 million prize to veterans advocacy groups. “There are people who need that money more,” Gabler told host Jeff Probst. “And I’m going to donate the entire prize — the entire million-dollar prize, in my father’s name, Robert Gabler, who was a Green Beret — to veterans in need who are recovering from psychiatric problems, PTSD, and curb the suicide epidemic.”On a previous episode, Gabler said the winnings would go to “veterans in need.” Outlets reported that Gabler was giving his winnings to the Margate, Fla.
But a spokesman for the foundation said Gabler was “generally speaking. It’s not going to us in particular. But he has a good heart and we thank him on behalf of veterans.”again took place on the Fiji Islands this season. The three-hour season finale consisted of the top five competitors — Gabler, Owen Knight, Jesse Lopez, Cassidy Clark and Karla Cruz Godoy — with Clark, Knight and Gabler making it to the final three.
. Tommy Cummings has worked at The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the San Francisco Chronicle as an editor/writer/digital producer.