Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce buys ‘safe haven’ for underserved teens
Aug 16, 2020, 3:00 PM
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce is already putting his new contract extension to good use.
No, the star TE is not catching touchdowns just yet, but he is impacting the city he plays for in a different way.
In an open letter to Kansas City, Kelce announced he has bought a building he envisions as being a safe haven for underserved teens in the community.
“The amazing kids I’ve seen grow up the last seven years in the inner-city of KC are now teenagers navigating a world that doesn’t always have their back,” Kelce wrote Saturday.
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The building will be the future home of Ignition Lab: Powered by 87 & Running, providing resources and support to teens. The lab will also give teens a chance to to explore careers in STEM, launch personal entrepreneurial ventures and gain real-world experience.
Kelce sees the lab as “a place where [kids are] exposed to interests and role models far beyond the field or court.”
“Kids can’t concentrate if they don’t feel safe,” Kelce added. “They can’t envision a career they never heard of or learn a skill they’ve never been taught.”
The tight end has spent seven years with the Chiefs since being drafted in 2013. Over that time, he’s amassed 507 receptions for 6,465 yards and 37 touchdowns, and took home a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers last season.
For his efforts, the Chiefs awarded the five-time Pro Bowler with a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $57 million.
