The first few times she got the online messages, military nonprofit co-founder Amber Capone thought it was a scam.
“Hey, this is Mike Gabler, and I just won the latest season of ‘Survivor,’” each essentially read. “I have a million bucks to give away, and I’d really love to chat with someone from your organization about it. Please call me.”
Capone’s organization is called VETS, or Veterans Exploring Treatment Options. Through VETS, Capone and her husband, Marcus, a former Navy SEAL, work to curb veteran suicide by addressing traumatic brain injuries and PTSD via psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment. VETS receiving a big donation from a newly-famous person seemed too good to be true.
So Capone ignored the messages. But then she read a news story about Gabler’s Season 43 “Survivor” win ― and how he had chosen to donate the entirety of his million-dollar earnings to military-connected charities like theirs.
She called him back.
“We were mortified that we had not taken it seriously,” Capone said.
But Gabler, a 52-year-old heart valve specialist living in Idaho, laughed it off.
“Everybody I talked to [about donating to their nonprofit] was very taken aback,” Gabler said. “It’s not every day you get a phone call where someone says, ‘I want to give you a hundred thousand,’ or whatever.”
Family tradition
Gabler never served in the military. But with a Green Beret for a father and uncles who served in Vietnam, he was steeped in respect for men and women in uniform for as long as he can remember.
“All gave some, and some gave all,” said the married father of two teenagers. “Serving those who serve us is really important to me.”
Gabler got the idea to donate his winnings to military-related charities even before he won “Survivor.” He had been shocked to even get a callback initially, so why not dream big about becoming the second-oldest contestant to win the whole thing?
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“I said to my wife before I flew out, ‘If I can get to the middle [of the competition], I can get to the end, and if I can get to the end, I can win,’” he said. “And that’s how it went.”
Gabler flew to Fiji and filmed the show over four weeks in May 2022 (it aired from September to December). It was a “really intense, fun experience,” he said. Although he befriended every other contestant ― and remains friends even now ― Gabler told no one of his idea for spending the $1 million prize.
‘Survivor’ winner lives to give
In between his victory and the “Survivor” finale broadcast, Gabler had several months to research which charities to donate to. He spoke with veterans’ groups and asked buddies who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan for recommendations.
What he found overwhelmed him.
“I need to win 100 more shows to do justice for our veterans and these awesome organizations,” he said.
But he managed to narrow his list down to 11 military charities so far. That list includes not only VETS, but also Healing Patriots, Mental Joe, Project Echelon and Koterra. Each will receive gifts ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 and are still in the process of being doled out.
VETS plans to use their “Survivor” cash on general programming, Capone said. Even merely realizing that someone knew their nonprofit existed was a huge boost.
“We’ve got our heads down in the trenches, working as hard as we can to impact veterans’ lives, that I don’t think we realized that other people were aware of our mission,” she said. “To be chosen as one of the organizations to receive those funds is surreal. I can’t tell you what it has done for me personally, like there’s a little bit more runway left for us.”
Gabler is happy to hear that. In the meantime, he wishes Americans would view his “Survivor” win not as a reflection on how generous he is, but how incredible veterans are.
“I got to play on a show I love and have the experience of a lifetime,” he said. “God has blessed me with a great career, so helping our veterans was a no-brainer for me. I’m glad I can help fuel this engine, but these guys are doing all the work. They’re the real people who need thanking and admiring.”
