Toby Keith on Hand as His Golf Classic Raises Record $1.8 Million
This year's Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic was one for the books. The 19th annual event, which took place June 2-3, raised a record-setting $1.8 million for the OK Kids Korral, benefiting children battling cancer and their families.
This brings the total donations to the cause to $18 million.
Most of the money raised came from the ever-popular auction, which featured autographed items from country artists like Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood, as well as athletes like NFL quarterback Joe Burrow, NBA standout Steph Curry and more.
More than 750 guests also bid on items like dinner with Keith — which sold for $70,000 — and a fishing trip with the country singer, which went for $80,000. A guitar signed by Taylor Swift was the top item, and it sold for a whopping $120,000.
The $1.8 million was raised and donated through Keith's philanthropic organization, the Toby Keith Foundation. The "Red Solo Cup" singer established the nonprofit in 2006 in an effort to help children battling pediatric cancer. It's this foundation that built the OK Kids Korral nearly 10 years ago.
"Next year, it'll be the 10th year for OK Kids Korral, 20th year of my foundation party," Keith told the Oklahoman at the 2023 event. "We're gonna celebrate a 10 and a 20, and we're gonna blow it out. It's amazing how much support we get. But it takes that kind of support to handle 300 families a year."
The "I Love This Bar" artist has made few public appearances since revealing his stomach cancer diagnosis a year ago. He's taken a step back from his career to focus on his battle with the disease. Most recently, Keith was spotted at his bar with the University of Oklahoma softball team, celebrating their 15th National Championship win.