Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Get Heartfelt First Responder Family Notes

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are receiving heartfelt thanks from families of fallen first responders after giving $2 million to Answer the Call NYC, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the loved ones of police officers, firefighters and emergency workers who died in the line of duty.

The major gift to the New York City charity was one piece of a broader $26 million charitable commitment the high-profile couple directed to at least 20 organizations ahead of their July 3 wedding celebration at Madison Square Garden.

On July 20, Answer the Call NYC shared a collection of personal messages on Instagram, featuring notes of appreciation addressed to the newlyweds from relatives of the city’s fallen heroes.

In its post, the organization said that “following the announcement of @taylorswift and @killatrav’s extraordinary $2 million gift to Answer the Call, many of the families we serve wanted to share their gratitude in their own words.”

The group added, “Taylor and Travis, thank you for your incredible generosity and for standing with the families of fallen New York City first responders. Your gift will make a tangible difference in their lives.”

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swift seeking additional comment on the donation.

Allison Garger, whose FDNY firefighter husband Thomas J. Kennedy died in the September 11, 2001 attacks, described the couple’s efforts as ‘amazing’ while sharing a personal experience while attending one of the singer’s concerts.

‘We have been fans of yours forever!’ Garger said. ‘Taylor, in the rainy concert at MetLife Stadium one year, you touched my son Michael’s hand, and he has been inspired by you since then. We are forever grateful! Heart-shaped hands forever!’

Mary Farino, the wife of FDNY Battalion Chief Thomas Farino who died in the 9/11 attacks, wrote, ‘I cannot express how much your donation means!’

Farino, who said that ‘this upcoming anniversary of 9/11 will be a tough one’ for her and her family, said that her ‘children were six and 10-years-old when their dad was killed.’

She continued, ‘Later, when my daughter was off to college, all she allowed us to listen to in the car on our trips back and forth was Taylor’s music. 

‘My son is not just a football fan – he is a Travis Kelce fan. How special for my family to have you honored such a great charity.’

Patricia Polimeni, whose husband, NYPD detective Jack Polimeni, died in April of 2020, said to the pair that their donation marks ‘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.’

In a July 2 statement on its Instagram, the organization’s executive director Lauren Profeta said, ‘We are extremely grateful to Taylor and Travis for their incredible support. 

‘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.’

The charities which Swift and Kelce donated to also included nine food banks –  one in Swift’s hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania – three children’s hospitals and seven educational programs.

The announcement from the pair’s representatives to The Daily Mail reads, ‘This week, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift donated $26 million to charities across the United States. They include the following…’

The list of charities is; City Harvest New York City, Food Bank For NYC, New York Cares, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, (Kansas City), The Store, (Nashville), Helping Harvest (Reading), Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Feeding America, ASPCA, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Grammy In The Schools, Education Through Music, Answer The Call, Musical Mentors, After-School All-Stars,  MSK Kids, the pediatric cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Children & Teen and Adolescents & Young Adult (AYA) Programs, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

In the wake of the donations, The Store’s Instagram page shared a thank you post reading, ‘We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for their transformative gift to The Store. 

‘Their kindness will help more families across Middle Tennessee access fresh, healthy food with dignity and choice, and we’re honored to have their support.

‘Congratulations to Taylor and Travis on your upcoming wedding! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness as you begin this next chapter together. Thank you for helping make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.’

Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest said, ‘We are incredibly grateful for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s generous $1 million donation to City Harvest. 

‘This donation is a love letter to New York, and a bold commitment to our efforts to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry. 

‘Their support comes at a critical time, with visits to New York City soup kitchens and food pantries near record highs and expected to increase further in response to federal funding cuts.’ 

An insider informed the Daily Mail in early June that Swift and Kelce had embraced the idea of a ‘spectacle’ wedding and selected Madison Square Garden as the venue. 

Sources also previously claimed to the Daily Mail that guests who received an invitation were required to sign an NDA before receiving information about the wedding.

Those who sent RSVPs were then sent a link to the agreement, which requires guests not to disclose information about the wedding.

In August, Kelce proposed to Swift, and she shared photos from the intimate engagement on Instagram with the caption: ‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.’

The football star had turned his backyard in Kansas City into a secret garden wonderland, which offered a romantic atmosphere.