One of the NFL’s biggest breakout stars of the past few years is not a professional athlete, but a 71-year-old mom. Donna Kelce reached the national spotlight as the mother of two football superstars, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce.
Her star power grew even more this year, when she was frequently seen cheering from the stands next to Travis’ megastar girlfriend Taylor Swift. People love Donna Kelce — and recently, she used her newfound fame to help kids in need.
PHOENIX, AZ – FEBRUARY 06: Donna Kelce holds up photos of her sons, Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs at Footprint Center on February 6, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Helping pay off school lunches
As Travis and the Chiefs headed back to the Super Bowl, Donna teamed up with a local business to help school children in the community.
Annie Stowe is the owner of a store called Annie’s Barn in Kansas City. She makes and sells custom items related to the city, and some of the most popular are Chiefs merchandise. Her products include mugs with the face of coach Andy Reid and novelty prayer candles with Travis and Taylor on them.
One of her popular products is a mug that says “It’s Mama Kelce’s world and we’re all just living in it.” It was a hit with both customers and with Donna herself.
“She wanted this mug. She thought this was hysterical,” Annie told KMBC. “She ordered 20-some of them to give out as gifts.”
That began a relationship between America’s favorite football mom and the local small business that led to an inspiring collaboration.
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 08: Donna Kelce attends Thursday Night Football Presents The World Premiere of “Kelce” on September 08, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Prime Video)
Annie reached out to Donna, asking her if she would be open to another product collaboration — one that would help local school kids afford lunches.
The plan: to put Donna’s famous cookie recipe on a mug, and donate $5 for each mug sold to pay off school lunches. “She wrote back right away and said yes,” Annie says.
The collaboration was a huge success: according to a Facebook post, Annie’s Barn sold 2,000 mugs in just a few days, raising a whopping $10,000 for the cause.
“This fundraiser drew attention to the very real issue of student lunch debt. It also helped inspire others of all ages to get involved in ways they might pay off lunches in their schools,” Annie wrote on Facebook. That is exciting stuff. Way more than I ever imagined. Way. More. Helping a cause very dear to my heart.”
It’s not the first time Annie’s Barn has raised money to pay off school lunches. Last year, the store raised over $4,000 by selling Chiefs lawn signs.
“I asked Donna Kelce if she would like to go with me to deliver the checks to the schools,” Annie told People. “I haven’t heard back from her on that, but I know she’s kind of busy with the Super Bowl.”
READ MORE: Taylor Swift praised by fans for “incredibly respectful” gesture after Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl win
Applause on plane flight
That wasn’t the only heartwarming Donna Kelce news this week. She also received a very special shout-out on the Southwest Airlines flight home after the Super Bowl.
“You’re on a very special flight. We are carrying a VIP this afternoon. Mama Kelce is on board, everybody,” a crew member is heard saying in a video shared by the airline. “Congratulations to her and her family and all the team over at the Chiefs. Well done, very proud.”
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The crew member then led the crowd in the chorus to the Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” like Travis did after his Super Bowl win last year.
“We flew the MVP (Most Valuable Parent) home from The Big Game. We 🫶 you Mama Kelce!” Southwest wrote on Instagram.
Mama Kelce also gave a shout-out to the airline on her own Instagram, along with a photo of herself with the plane’s pilots.
Everybody loves Mama Kelce, and it’s heartwarming to see her help this small business raise so much money for kids’ school lunches! She deserves all the applause ❤️
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