Magician Dustin Tavella, who captured the hearts of viewers with his tricks and stories, won the 16th season of "America's Got Talent" (AGT).
Tavella beat aerialist Aidan Bryant to win $1 million and a new car. He will also be the headliner of AGT's opening show in Las Vegas this November.
In a statement to People, the magician revealed that the prize money will be used to help others.
"What we are excited about with this money is now we get to be that for other people. People in our lives that we want to support... I'm just excited now to be on the other side of that and to be able to know that we're the ones that are going to be able to now help do for people what other people have done for us."
He disclosed that he and his wife, Kari, used to run a homeless ministry where they poured in their resources. There were times when they did not have the money to pay rent but people came to bless them, simply glad of what they were doing for the community.
He then expressed his gratitude to the people who helped him get to where he is now.
"The only reason we are where we're at, the only reason we get to do what we do is because we've had other people who have invested into us, and have continued to inspire and empower us to continue to do the things that we love."
He added that anyone can make an impact, even those without enough money.
"...we can impact lives even with nothing. We can give ourselves to people and that's really what makes the biggest difference in the world."
The couple have two adopted sons, whom Tavella revealed would cheer for him to win every time he came back home from a shoot or rehearsal.
He shared that when he was young, he pursued a music career. Today, he said that he wants to look for young people whom he can mentor and help by building them a place to hone their talents.
According to the Christian Headlines, Tavella is a partner of Compassion International (CI), an organization that helps kids living in poverty.
Jordan Greiner, CI's relationship manager, congratulated the magician, whom he said "had a heart for those less fortunate."
"We want to congratulate Dustin on last night's victory, and we are so grateful to come alongside him to release children from poverty in Jesus' name," Greiner said.
In an interview with Matt Cohen of Entertainment Tonight, Tavella shared that winning the show was what he was hoping and praying for. When Cohen commended him for being "honest," "pure," and "authentic," he responded that he felt blessed of the correspondent's encouragement.
He stated that he looks up to David Copperfield for his style in doing magic and wants to learn from him. With his upcoming show in Las Vegas, Tavella said that he hopes to entertain the audience with his tricks but also make them feel empowered of doing something and get them inspired like never before.
