Travis Kelce, the renowned tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, has contributed with a considerable $100,000 donation. This assistance is intended to help in the recovery of two young girls who were victims of a shooting incident that happened during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.
The Unfortunate Incident
At the moment when everyone was celebrating the Super Bowl win of the Kansas City Chiefs on February 14, a mindless act of violence transformed happy moments into painful memories.
As thousands of fans were crowding the place, gunfire broke out creating disorder and panic. One woman was dead in this incident and 22 people were injured. The youngest victims were two sisters from the Reyes family, who were only 8 and 10 years old.
These were the young girls who had come to join in the festivities. They were hit by bullets and suffered severe injuries to their legs. Following this heartbreaking incident, Travis Kelce, the tight end of football team Kansas City Chiefs, led his philanthropic organization, Eighty-Seven & Running, to provide a large sum of money to the family of Reyes through a GoFundMe campaign.
Travis Kelce, who is popular for his prowess on the field, has dedicated himself to making a difference off the field for a long time. In 2015, he founded the Eighty-Seven & Running foundation which clearly depicts his love for elevating marginalized youth. The goal of the foundation is to show the young folks how to be good citizens and provide them with the skills that will help them get on with their lives by encouraging them to discover and sharpen their talents as well as imparting to them the basic life skills. The recent shooting tragedy dealt a major blow to Kelce and he took to social media to express his grief. The heartbreak was obvious and his empathy for everyone was also clear.
The Road to Recovery
After the shooting event, Reyes’ family had to go through a tough time of recovery. Their daughters had to undergo surgery to heal their gunshot wounds. And then, they had to apply the casts.
The family said in their statement, released on February 16, that the casts would be a part of the girls’ lives for months to come. In spite of their physical and emotional suffering, the Reyes family showed deep gratitude for the tremendous support they received during this difficult period. They expressed their gratitude not only for the financial support but also for all the love, prayers and moral encouragement that have been so important in helping them heal.
The young victims also had the opportunity to meet Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, who, along with pop star Taylor Swift, also made generous donations to the affected families. Swift, who is Kelce’s girlfriend and a fervent supporter of the Chiefs, contributed $100,000 to support the family of the deceased Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who was a local radio DJ.
The Aftermath of the Incident
The shooting that occurred during the celebratory parade resulted in injuries to 22 individuals, with at least half of them being under the age of 16. The youngest victim was only eight years old. The law enforcement agencies have charged two juveniles in relation to the shooting, and they are currently at a juvenile detention center. The police investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are pending.
The community has rallied around the victims, and through the generous donations from individuals like Kelce and Swift, they are receiving much-needed financial support. The donations will not only cover their immediate medical expenses but will also contribute to their future college funds, ensuring that this tragedy does not rob them of their potential.