Actor Paul Walter Hauser began a fundraiser on January 26 to assist James Van Der Beek with the financial challenges of his stage 3 colorectal cancer treatment. Partnering with Cameo, Hauser aims to raise $20,000 by March 1, helping the Dawson’s Creek star cover medical expenses, as Van Der Beek has been selling personal memorabilia to offset his costs.
Hauser’s Personal Appeal and Fundraising Efforts
Hauser expressed strong feelings about Van Der Beek’s decision to part with his belongings to pay for treatment, posting on Instagram,
“James Van Der Beek started selling his old stuff from his past acting jobs to pay for his colorectal cancer treatments, and it didn’t sit well with me,”
he wrote.
“I am an actor and father of 3 children, and I want them inheriting my trinkets/wardrobe/memorabilia someday. I wouldn’t want to auction off a Stingray shirt or Marvel script to make ends meet for treatment.”
To support Van Der Beek, Hauser is utilizing Cameo to offer personalized videos and plans to auction off items donated by celebrity friends such as Josh Gad, Jimmy Kimmel, Beck Lynch, and others. He emphasized this collective effort as an act of solidarity, describing it as support for
“a fellow actor, father and husband who has rolled a painful pair of dice these last couple years.”
Addressing Critics and Highlighting Past Charitable Work
Anticipating criticism, Hauser addressed potential questions about his choice of beneficiary by detailing his history of charitable involvement. He wrote,
“Before the Internet trolls wipe their saliva and attack their keyboards to question why I chose to raise money for this, and not something they deem worthy of time/efforts/funding, know that I’ve done stand up comedy for Relay for Life’s Cancer Charity Walk, I’ve donated my own earnings to organizations like Smile Train and Neighborly, and recently helped raise over $100,000 for ServeLA through my appearance on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.”
He concluded his announcement with a personal message about Van Der Beek’s character, stating he’s “always liked” him, adding,
“he seems like a really good dude. Let’s help him out in this difficult moment.”
Hauser and Van Der Beek’s Previous Interaction
Although the two actors have never appeared together on screen, Hauser shared a memory from a 2010 celebrity flag football game where he playfully heckled Van Der Beek. On the Rich Eisen Show in 2022, Hauser recalled repeatedly yelling,
“I want to see some blood out there, son!”
to the Varsity Blues star during the game. Van Der Beek responded humorously with, “I’ll make you proud, dad,” sparking a comedic exchange between them.
Van Der Beek’s Cancer Battle and Fundraising Activities
James Van Der Beek, who is married to Kimberly and shares six children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah—announced his diagnosis of stage 3 colorectal cancer in November 2024. Shortly after, he began selling limited editions of his iconic Varsity Blues jersey to assist other families grappling with the financial toll of cancer treatment, pledging that
“100 percent of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own).”
In September the following year, the Dawson’s Creek cast reunited for a live reading of the pilot episode to benefit F Cancer. Van Der Beek was unable to attend due to illness, but other cast members, including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps, participated. Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to play the lead role of Dawson Leery.
Van Der Beek shared a prerecorded message during the event, expressing his disappointment:
“I can’t believe I’m not there. I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my castmates, my beautiful cast, in person, and I just wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight — from the cast to the crew to everybody who donated their time and has been so generous. And especially every single last one of you. You’re the best fans in the world. Thank you for coming.”
Further Auctioning of Van Der Beek’s Memorabilia to Raise Funds
Two months after the reunion, Van Der Beek partnered with Propstore to auction off significant pieces of his career memorabilia to support ongoing treatments. Items like the necklace Dawson gave Joey for prom and Dawson’s pilot episode outfit, alongside other ‘90s series memorabilia, were included in the sale. He reflected on this decision by saying,
“While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.”
The auction successfully raised $47,000 over three days, providing critical financial help during his cancer fight.
Significance of the Fundraiser and Community Support
The Paul Walter Hauser fundraiser emphasizes the ongoing challenges cancer patients like James Van Der Beek face, not only medically but also financially. Hauser’s initiative, coupled with the contributions from celebrity friends and Van Der Beek’s own efforts to gather support, spotlights the importance of community backing in times of health crises. This fundraiser not only aims to alleviate immediate costs but also symbolizes the entertainment world coming together to support one of its own through a deeply difficult period.
As the campaign progresses toward its goal, this collaboration may inspire similar efforts to support others burdened by expensive medical treatments, highlighting the power of solidarity and compassion among colleagues and fans alike.
