Two signed, game-worn jerseys donated by Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce sold for $250,000 at a charity auction in Missouri.
asserted
jerseys → sign → Missouri
The sale helped raise millions of pounds for childhood cancer treatment.
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sale → help → treatment
The two-day fundraising event brought together Hollywood actors, professional athletes, and thousands of supporters to raise money for the Cancer Center at Children's Mercy Hospital.
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event → bring → Hospital
Organisers confirmed at the end of the event that the weekend raised a record $3.97 million (£3.1 million) for childhood cancer research and patient care.
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weekend → confirm → research
Star power drives record bidding
The charity package included authentic game-worn jerseys signed by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce after their victory in Super Bowl LVIII.
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package → drive → LVIII
During the live auction at the T-Mobile Center, bidding quickly climbed past $100,000.
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bidding → climb → 100,000
The final winning bid reached $250,000 after Mahomes, Kelce, and celebrity hosts appeared on stage and encouraged the crowd to support the cause.
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Mahomes → win → cause
The auction also offered special experiences alongside physical items.
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auction → offer → items
Other expensive lots included chances to appear in television productions, private meals with celebrity hosts, and VIP passes to major sporting events.
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lots → include → events
According to event coverage published by the Kansas City Star, the annual charity weekend raised its highest total in a single year since it began.
uncertain
it → accord → year
The $3.97 million total beat the previous record of $3.5 million, set in 2023.
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total → beat → 2023
Hometown celebrities rally for local hospital
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celebrities → rally → hospital
The Big Slick event began in 2010 as a poker tournament organised by five actors who grew up in the Kansas City area.
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who → begin → area
Actor Heidi Gardner, who grew up in Kansas City and was formerly a cast member on Saturday Night Live, officially joined the group as a main co-host in 2023.
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who → grow → 2023
Over the past decade, the organisers have turned the event from a small poker night into a large weekend gathering.
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organisers → turn → gathering
The programme now includes a celebrity softball game at Kauffman Stadium, a bowling tournament, and a live entertainment show at the T-Mobile Center.
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programme → include → Center
Speaking to supporters during the event, co-host Rob Riggle reflected on how much the fundraiser had grown over its 15 years.
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fundraiser → speak → years
"When we started this 15 years ago, we just wanted to raise a little money and bring some attention to the hospital," Riggle said during media appearances covered by local news outlets.
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Riggle → start → outlets
"We never imagined it would grow into something this big."
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it → imagine → something
All money raised during the weekend goes directly to the Cancer Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City, one of the leading children's medical networks in the American Midwest.
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money → raise → Midwest
In an official public statement posted on LinkedIn after the event, representatives from Children's Mercy Hospital explained how important the annual donations are.
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donations → post → Hospital
The funds help pay for clinical trials, advanced diagnostic equipment, and support for families facing long treatment periods.
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funds → help → periods
"Big Slick is about our patients," the hospital stated in its online update.
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hospital → state → update
"Every dollar raised stays right here in Kansas City to support the kids and families fighting cancer at Children's Mercy."
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dollar → raise → Mercy
The hospital also noted that private donations from Big Slick help medical teams hire specialist doctors who treat childhood cancer.
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who → note → cancer
The money also helps expand access to experimental targeted treatments that traditional health insurance may not fully cover.
uncertain
insurance → help → that
Including the 2024 total, the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend has raised more than $21 million for Children's Mercy Hospital since the event began in 2010.
asserted
event → include → 2010
The Aporia
