James Van Der Beek to sell Dawson’s Creek ‘treasures’ to pay for cancer treatment

Actor James Van Der Beek will once again be selling collector’s items from some of his beloved films and TV shows, including Dawson’s Creek, to help pay for his treatment for colorectal cancer. “I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now,” Van Der Beek told People. The collection, which includes an outfit he wore in the Dawson’s Creek pilot, and a hat featured in the 1999 film Varsity Blues, will be auctioned at Propstore’s annual Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which runs from 5 December to 7 December. This is the second time Van Der Beek, who rose to fame for his eponymous role on the hit TV series Dawson’s Creek, has sold memorabilia since he revealed his diagnosis late last year. The 48-year-old actor said at the time he had reason for optimism and continued working, appearing in the movie Sidelined: The QB and Me and on an episode of Walker, a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger. Van Der Beek also participated in The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special in support of cancer research and awareness, which featured male celebrity strip teases, last year. His need to sell off some prized possessions has brought the exceedingly high costs of cancer treatment in the US into sharper focus. The National Cancer Institute estimated costs would reach roughly $209bn nationally in 2020. Average costs for treatment run $150,000 for individual patients, according to AARP. Van Der Beek said selling the items is bittersweet. “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,” he said.