Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks with Taylor Swift following an AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in Baltimore.Julio Cortez/The Associated Press
A football jersey signed by Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce and his pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift sold for $21,000 Saturday during an auction benefiting Ontario charities.
The jersey was auctioned during the Linamar Curl for Kids Bonspiel, with half of the proceeds going to the Guelph Wish Fund for Children and the other half split between the Oakville Fare Share Food Bank and the Halton Women’s Crisis Shelter.
Autographed jerseys of Mr. Kelce’s teammate Patrick Mahomes and NBA greats Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan were also up for online bidding and sold for thousands of dollars, along with dozens of other items open to in-person bidding during the curling tournament.
The Guelph Wish Fund for Children said Kelce’s signed jersey was initially going to be part of a silent auction, but due to the publicity surrounding this item, the event organizers made it available for online bidding.
According to the Wish Fund’s release, the charity has raised more than $420,000 over the years thanks to the Bonspiel. This helped grant more than 450 wishes over the past 40 years to Guelph and Wellington County children living “with a significant illness, life-altering injury or a rare and debilitating syndrome.”
In an interview Saturday, Guelph Wish Fund for Children executive director Helen Loftin said typical wishes include trips to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, adapted mobility equipment for kids suffering from a disability, bedroom makeovers and gaming computers.
“We want to make their lives a little happier, that’s our tagline,” Ms. Loftin said.
The Wish Fund does not select the kids based on financial needs, the director said, but “there are many of our families who do need the funds just to help out with expenses,” as parents often miss work to take their children to medical appointments.
The charity said the Kelce jersey was provided by Scottie (Nine Toe) Johnston, who is affiliated with the New England Patriots and deals in sports memorabilia.
Mr. Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII last weekend, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime with Ms. Swift in attendance, cheering for the Chiefs.