Travis Kelce is more than just a star on the football field, he’s using his clout to give back to the Kansas City community.
Kelce, 34, recently partnered with Rebuilding Together Kansas City and his foundation, 87 & Running, to help save longtime Kansas City resident Gloria White’s home. White, who competed at the Olympic trials in her youth, revealed in a video shared by both nonprofits that she has lived in her house for 56 years.
“I love it here and I even love it more now,” White said in the clip shared on Wednesday, January 10, noting that despite her age she still thinks she’s “wonder woman.”
Her house, however, was no longer suitable for her needs, according to the Rebuilding Together Kansas City executive director Scott Hickox. “When we looked at her home, we realized there were lots of other things she needed. She needed a new roof, she needed gutters, she needed safety latches on the doors, she needed work in the bathroom and kitchen,” Hickox told local news station KSHB 41 on Friday, January 12. “We were able to do some significant work.”
Hickox revealed that once Kelce learned about White’s deteriorating home, he donated enough money to pay for all of the repairs. “For Travis to care enough and his foundation to care enough about his community and what’s happening in Kansas City, this meant the world he could partner with us,” Hickox added.
White, meanwhile, gushed over her new pad in the social media video for the project. “I love the kitchen with the new sink. They came in and did it perfect,” she said. “The work they’ve done in the yard. … Amazed me.”
In addition to a revamped house, White was gifted a signed Kelce jersey. “Bless you! Thank you,” White added while holding up her Kansas City Chiefs merch.
Kelce’s recent act of kindness is just one way he serves his community. The tight end told reporters on Thursday, January 11, that he has “no reason to stop playing football,” once again making locals very happy.
Throughout his career, Kelce has made Kansas City proud on the field as he helped the team win two Super Bowl championships in the past decade. Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift, which began in summer 2023, has also gained a lot of attention for the organization.
Whenever Swift, 34, attends one of Kelce’s games, she is instantly recognized. Her choice to publicly root for Kelce has resulted in an uptick in jersey sales for the NFL.
“Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top five selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400 percent spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com,” a spokesperson for the NFL’s official e-commerce partner, Fanatics, said in a September 2023 statement obtained by CNN.
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Three months later, Travis’ brother and Philadelphia Eagles center, Jason Kelce, revealed that both of their jerseys were flying off the shelves in the U.K., which they attributed to Swift.
“We are the No. 1 and No. 2 top jersey in the United Kingdom,” Jason, 36, told Travis on a December 2023 episode of their “New Heights” podcast. “Trav, you got the No. 1 jersey — good to know we’re still No. 1 at something these days — followed by me at No. 2. This is crazy — it’s Travis, then me, then [Patrick] Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.”
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