Jeopardy! winner donates $15,000 for North Allegheny boathouse to honor late brother

Six-hundred-dollars in the hole, Beaver oral and facial surgeon Chris Ban felt like he was “blowing” his appearance in the June 27 episode of “Jeopardy!”.

During an intermission, he looked to his late younger brother, Michael, for a little help.

“After that, things started to turn,” Chris said.

He’d go on to earn $13,000 in a comeback victory that hinged on a rather serendipitous “Final Jeopardy!” question.

The answer? Rudyard Kipling, author of “The Jungle Book.” Chris was the only contestant to get it right.

Growing up, the brothers loved to read “The Jungle Book.” Their favorite story was “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” a fable where a mongoose protects his family and friends from cobras. Each day that Michael received chemotherapy or radiation as treatment for brain cancer, Chris would text him a new picture of a mongoose killing a snake. Michael passed away in May of 2022 at 36, about four years after his diagnosis.

“He was there in that moment in his own way,” Chris said.

In the following night’s episode, Chris finished in second-place, netting him a $2,000 consolation prize.

He’s put his combined $15,000 winnings towards building the “Michael McNaughton Ban Memorial Boathouse” for the North Allegheny Rowing Association, where he rowed alongside his brother in high school. Past coaches, “Jeopardy!” contestants and even some of Chris’s patients have contributed to an online fundraiser to bring the total to more than $35,000.

A memorial fund to support sports and music organizations at North Allegheny High School has garnered another 4,000 donations since going live in June 2022.

The team currently rents a boathouse in Groveton within Robinson Township, but associate head coach Todd Ridenour said a new facility on Neville Island would cut down travel time and allow the team to store its equipment in a “nicer and safer” way.

The rowing association has yet to reach a formal agreement with Neville Township for the project, but “we’re very close,” Ridenour added. He predicts a total cost around $300,000, including docks, the building, sidewalks and other amenities. The current design calls for two storage areas, one for the rowing association, and another available to rent.

Bob Bozzuto Jr., athletic director for North Allegheny School District, said a boathouse named after Michael would be a fitting tribute to the program and the Ban family’s contributions to it.

Susan, their mother, did a phenomenal job as a booster president, “down to bananas, oranges, water, stuff like that,” Bozzuto said. He described Michael as the “ultimate scholar athlete” who committed to rowing wholeheartedly.

A common thread among people who knew Michael as an athlete, including then-North Allegheny rowing coach Melissa Titus Watts: His competitive spirit.

“His feistiness really benefited everyone because he was able to light a spark under everyone around him,” Titus Watts said.

The rowing association named a boat in Michael’s honor and plans to host a memorial race with alumni at Moraine State Park on Sept. 16.

“Losing Michael was a big loss for many people, so it’s nice to see what good has come out of that loss and how much it has brought people together,” Titus Watts said.

Donations to the Michael McNaughton Ban Memorial Fund can be made by clicking here.

Donations to the Michael McNaughton Ban Memorial Boathouse can be made by clicking here.