Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, made a $50,000 donation Friday to the families impacted by Wednesday’s shooting at their victory parade — one day after paying a visit to wounded children in the hospital.
“Just like #ChiefsKingdom has always been there for me and my family, we want to be there for them,” Mahomes wrote in a post to social media, announcing the Chief’s Kansas City Strong campaign.
The back-to-back Super Bowl champs recently teamed up with United Way to launch an emergency response fundraiser for victims and families recovering from the tragic incident, which left one person dead and 22 others wounded.
Within just six hours of its launch, the campaign had already raised over $500,000 — including the Mahomes’ donation and $200,000 from the Chiefs and the Hunt Family Foundation.
“Funds raised will first and foremost go to support the victims and their families,” Chris Rosson, CEO of United Way of Greater Kansas City, wrote on the fundraiser site, adding that donations will also go towards “violence prevention and recovery organizations, including mental health support services.”
One day before launching the campaign, the Mahomes went in person to Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital, where they visited with Madison and Melia Reyes, a pair of sisters aged 10 and 8 who were shot in the legs on Wednesday. They gifted the girls miniature Chiefs helmets and posed for photos.
The Reyes sisters are reportedly related to Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the local radio DJ who lost her life in the shooting.
The Reyes sisters, 8 and 10, were shot in the legs while at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade.
Patrick Mahomes and his wife visited with them in the hospital. @CBSNews @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/wAT790W2T8
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 16, 2024
“We want to give a personal thank you to the staff of Children’s Mercy Hospital and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes for their outpouring of care, love, and support,” the Reyes family said in a statement.
A separate fundraiser for just the girls and their family has already raised over $177,000 to go towards their physical and mental recovery. A total donation of $100,000 was given by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce through his charity, 87 & Running.
Kelce’s donation followed shortly after his girlfriend, popstar Taylor Swift, made headlines with an individual donation of $100,000 to the family of Lopez-Galvan.
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