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As the Kansas City Chiefs enter their bye week conveniently during Thanksgiving weekend, one of the franchise’s top stars revealed his plan to help the community. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce takes tremendous pride in giving back to the children in the Kansas City area, and his foundation focuses on making things better for all.
Kelce founded the 87 & Running foundation to empower disadvantaged youth to achieve success by providing resources and support to their communities and cultivating their talent in education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts. He recently sat down with NFL on FOX anchor Curt Menefee to describe his foundation’s work, including the brand-new Ignition Lab, and his hopes for the future.
KC @Chiefs TE @tkelce has made an incredible impact on so many kids in the Kansas City area.
He sat down with @curtmenefee to discuss his non-profit. For more information, visit https://t.co/vgZCa28fF8. pic.twitter.com/D6ZVQfS06V
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 21, 2021
“Oh my goodness,” said Kelce, describing the Ignition Lab. “Where do I even start. So, the Ignition lab is — it’s a co-working spot for 14 to 18-year-olds to pursue career fields that they might be interested in, even in high school. It has such a variety of things, from culinary arts to automotive, graphic design, you name it. Kids just have the options to choose from. For me, it’s giving these kids an opportunity that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
The ignition lab is built for the kids in Kansas City, further opening the door to creative opportunities in their development. Kelce has often discussed his early troubles growing up in Cleveland, Ohio takes this project with great seriousness.
“This place, this safe haven, is for them to really dream big and want to be anything that they want to be,” Kelce said. “I see so much of myself and my friends growing up in these kids in this community. And I just want to make sure that these kids have everything that they could ever ask for. Just so that they could pursue something, keep them off the streets, keep them out of all the trouble that’s around this area.”
As the interview continued, Kelce began to get emotional thinking about the kids in his foundation and stating that a thank you is more than enough to show appreciation.
“Just a thank you, man,” Kelce said. “And that’s always enough. I put myself in their shoes. Realize how tough they might have it, especially around this area. I know it’s not an easy life for them. So to be able to give them happiness, a smile, something to take them away from some of the things they might be going through at home. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”
For more information on Kelce’s 87 & Running foundation log on to their official website
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