First responders' families thank Taylor Swift for 'extraordinary' wedding donation
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been sent heart-warming letters from first responders and their families for their "extraordinary" $2 million donation in the run-up to their wedding.
Taylor Swift has been sent letters from first responders' families thanking them for her "extraordinary" wedding donation.
The pop superstar tied the knot with Travis Kelce in a lavish ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City - rumoured to have cost $30 million - earlier this month and in the days leading up to the event the couple donated $26 million to good causes close to their hearts. Around $2 million went to Answer the Call - a charity supporting first responders and their families in the Big Apple - and several families have written to the newlyweds to express their gratitude.
The letters shared on the organisation's Instagram page included a note from Patricia Polimeni, who lose her police officer husband Jack in 2020. She wrote: "I know firsthand how much the support of this organization means to families like mine.
"Your donation is so much more than a financial gift. It provides hope, comfort and sense of community for families who are learning to navigate life after the loss of someone who dedicated their life to serving others."
Amanda Rivera, whose dad William Rivera served in the New York Police Department prior to his death in 2004, wrote: "Early in those years following my dad's passing, it was so hard to find our way and find support for my mom and me.
"We felt so alone in our grief and thought noone knew what we were going through. Then Answer The Call came into our lives for the better ...
"We found a community where people knew what the other has been through and made friends who eventually became family.
"The organization has given me so many opportunities and experiences that I never thought I would experience -like throwing out the first pitch at a New York Mets game, attending concerts and much more."
Amanda went on to add: "Knowing that you both decided to support Answer The Call means the world to us. I've been a Swiftie ever since Debut and I am a football fan (sorry Travis I am a Giants fan ... )"
Allison Garger, whose husband Thomas J. Kennedy in the terror attacks on New York on September 11, 2001, revealed the donation meant a lot to them, writing: "Taylor, in the rainy concert at MetLife Stadium one year, you touched my son Michael’s hand.
"He has been inspired by you since then. We are forever grateful! Heart-shaped hands forever!"
At the time of the donation, Answer the Call's executive director Lauren Profeta wrote in a statement: "We are extremely grateful to Taylor and Travis for their incredible support of Answer the Call.
"Their extraordinary donation will ensure that we can continue to provide much-needed financial assistance to the families of New York City’s fallen first responders. We thank them for their kindness, their generosity and for their fulfillment to our collective promise to Never Forget."
