Pop-music icon Taylor Swift handed out cash gifts to stadium employees during the Kansas City Chiefs' Christmas Day game at Arrowhead Stadium, a stadium worker said.
Swift was in attendance to support her fiancé, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, but also took time to personally thank stadium workers, including Robyn Gentry, who described the encounter in a Facebook post on Sunday.
"She was running around telling everyone merry Christmas and came towards me, saying thank you so much for working on Christmas, please take this, Merry Christmas," Gentry wrote. "My mind just froze. Of course, I said Merry Christmas and thank you so much. Travis and her were smiling so big and just kept saying merry Christmas, thank you for working Christmas but then they were gone and I stopped to look at what was in my hand…. $600."
Gentry said the money was especially meaningful because she had recently spent a large amount on Christmas gifts for eight children. In her post, she said she was overwhelmed by the encounter and praised Swift and Kelce.
"I immediately started crying," Gentry wrote. "I wanted to share the story with people who will appreciate it with me Taylor and Travis are beautifully kind people. Its very true, incredible and very kind people."
Swift's gesture at the stadium came shortly after several major charitable donations announced publicly in the days leading up to Christmas.
Feeding America confirmed that Swift donated $1 million to the nonprofit's hunger relief efforts. In an Instagram post, Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot acknowledged the contribution and its timing during the holiday season.
"This holiday season, her continued support is a powerful reminder of what's possible when we unite to end hunger," Babineaux-Fontenot said. "When we join together alongside people facing hunger, we can make sure families have a full table this holiday season and beyond."
The American Heart Association also announced receiving a $1 million donation from Swift. In a statement to ABC News, the organization said the gift was made in honor of her father, and referenced his heart condition she had previously discussed earlier this year.
Swift's philanthropic efforts have also extended to people working directly with her.
The Disney+ docuseries "The End of an Era" shows Swift giving bonuses to her backup singers, dancers and band at the end of the Eras Tour. She said the decision was meant to set a long-term standard for how her team is paid and recognized.
"Bonus day is so important, because setting a precedent with the Eras Tour is really important to me," she said. "These people just work so hard, and they are the best at what they do."
The docuseries also depicts Swift writing handwritten notes to each member of her touring team, a process she said took several weeks to complete.
"It's fun to think about everybody's lives that they're going to go back to, and the time off they're going to have, and the kids they haven't seen because they've been away for months," she said. "It feels like Christmas morning when you finally get to say thank you."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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