Celebrity chef David Chang grabbed his face nervously as he pondered the final question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He didn’t know the answer, but he needed to figure it out fast: A million dollars of aid for hungry families was on the line.

“As much as I want to walk away, and the embarrassment I will have for the rest of my life for getting it wrong, it means more to me to get this right, to put the spotlight on the industry in need,” Chang said. “The way things are, things are pretty bad.”

Chang had pledged his winnings to Southern Smoke Foundation, a Houston non-profit helping hospitality workers in need. He knew a million dollars would go