Travis Kelce wears many hats. He’s an All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, ubiquitous commercial pitchman, and as boyfriend to the world’s biggest pop star, Swiftie in Chief. It was a different hat – a cartoonish chapeau – Kelce donned a decade ago when he began a journey that would impact thousands of children and families in his adopted city. “I did a community relations deal with the Chiefs and read a Dr. Seuss book to a bunch of preschoolers,” recalled Kelce, who wore a towering red-and-white-striped top hat to the event. “And when I did that, I looked around and I’m like, `Man, this building is crazy.’ They were taking care of infants and providing meals. Not only breakfast and lunch, but they were sending kids home with dinner for their entire families.” It was a nonprofit learning center called Operation Breakthrough, one that would grow significantly in the ensuing decade, in some part thanks to the support of the budding Chiefs star, along with many others. The program provides education, social services and help from cradle to career for some of Kansas City’s most vulnerable children and families. Over the last decade, enrollment has grown from about 400 to nearly 1,500 students per week. More than ever, the Chiefs are in the national spotlight as they look to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Their quest begins Thursday night with the kickoff opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs boast two of the NFL’s unofficial faces of the league in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce, who has ascended to pop-culture superstar in light of his romance with Taylor Swift, one that has him jetting all over the world to attend her concerts. Virtually every profe
Travis Kelce, in addition to being an All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and now widely known for his relationship with Taylor Swift, has been heavily involved in charitable efforts in Kansas City. His journey began about a decade ago when he first read a Dr. Seuss book to preschoolers at a nonprofit learning center called **Operation Breakthrough**. During the event, Kelce noticed the importance of the organization, which provides education and social services for vulnerable children and families in the area. Over the past decade, thanks in part to Kelce’s support, Operation Breakthrough’s enrollment has grown significantly, now serving nearly 1,500 students weekly.
Kelce has taken his involvement a step further, purchasing a former muffler shop to help expand the nonprofit’s campus and create the **Ignition Lab**, where students can work on transforming old cars into electric vehicles. This hands-on learning space equips students with valuable skills for the future.
As the Chiefs aim to make NFL history by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl, Kelce’s off-the-field contributions stand out just as much as his performance on the field. His efforts with Operation Breakthrough demonstrate a deep commitment to the Kansas City community.
ssional athlete with any contract of note has an association with a charity. Some are emotionally invested, others view them largely as tax shelters. Kelce has gone the extra mile, buying a onetime muffler shop to expand Operation Breakthrough’s campus and create the Ignition Lab, in which students convert dilapidated jalopies into lacquered, showroom-ready electric vehicles.
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