From Touchdowns to Tackling Debt: Donna Kelce’s Heartwarming Initiative to Support Schools”
Football enthusiast and devoted mother, Donna Kelce, extends her love beyond her NFL star sons—Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce—by not only being their biggest cheerleader on game days but also by supporting elementary school children in Kansas.
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Donna Kelce
The heartwarming initiative began when Kelce, 71, purchased 20 mugs adorned with the inscription “It’s Mama Kelce’s world and we’re all just living in it” from Kansas City-area small business Annie’s Barn. Originally intended as Christmas gifts, this thoughtful gesture sparked a collaboration between Kelce and the small business owner, Annie Stowe, to create a new mug for charity.
Stowe, 59, reached out to Kelce proposing to feature her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe on a mug and donate $5 from each sale to pay off elementary school lunch debt. The recipe, renowned for being a pre-Super Bowl treat for Travis and Jason in 2023, received Kelce’s enthusiastic approval.
Crafted in the basement of Stowe’s Overland Park home, the “Mama Kelce’s Cookies” mug not only showcases the detailed cookie recipe but also includes an iPhone Memoji of Donna Kelce’s face. Priced at $18, with $5 from each sale contributing to Stowe’s Out of the Red Friday initiative, the mugs proved successful, raising $2,000 in 2023.
As Donna prepares to cheer on her son Travis and his Chiefs teammates at the upcoming Super Bowl, recent reports from Kansas City news outlet KMBC 9 reveal that Annie’s Barn has raised a total of $4,100 from the recipe mugs, including an additional $2,100 following local TV coverage.
The initiative aims to alleviate the significant issue of school meal debt, affecting over 30 million students in the United States. With national public school meal debt reaching $262 million annually and Kansas alone carrying a debt of $23,515,926, the “Mama Kelce’s Cookies” mug is making a meaningful contribution to address this challenge.
Donna Kelce, currently in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl alongside Jason and other relatives, expressed interest in delivering the checks to the schools, showcasing her commitment to the cause despite her busy schedule.
In a heartwarming touch, Donna shared her beloved chocolate chip cookie recipe for the mugs:
1½ cups sweet cream butter (3 sticks)
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda (dissolved in 2 tbsp. of hot water)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake or pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1½ tsp. salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
In February 2023, Donna made headlines as both of her NFL sons competed against each other in Super Bowl LVII, famously known as the Kelce Bowl, where the Chiefs emerged victorious with a 38-35 win. Reflecting on her extraordinary journey, Donna expressed, “It’s been a ride. That’s for sure. Sometimes I feel I’m on some kind of a different planet. I’m like, ‘What has my life become?’”
