Toby Keith may have garnered attention thanks to his singing, but some of his most important work was humanitarian efforts. In fact, the late singer donated more than $20 million of his own money to fight childhood cancer.
Speaking on the Ten Year Town podcast, singer and rapper Colt Ford reflected on Keith and his legacy. Ford said that Keith put a lot of his own money into helping families. Keith opened The Toby Keith Foundation in 2006. He also helped fund the OK Kids Korral, which helped house families whose kids were getting treatment.
"He puts about $20 mil out of his pocket to run. There's a lot of guys doing stuff, you ain't doing that. I know people go out and raise money and stuff, but they ain't stroking a $20 mil check out of their pocket. First of all a very few can stroke that check," Ford said.
Ford got a first-hand experience at Keith's generosity. He went to the facility with Keith one day and described how nice it was. Keith made sure families didn't have to pay anything. He continued, "He paid for all that himself, man like that's crazy."
Colt Ford Remembers Toby Keith
In particular, Ford remember one man coming up to Ford and Keith while they were there. The man was very appreciative for the work that Keith did. In fact, Ford said the man became emotional and ended up crying, describing how Keith made sure his son was able to get the treatment he needed. That moment always stuck with Ford, and it made him realize that Keith's greatest legacy was offstage.
He explained it simply, "And for a guy to just be that emotional, and to another man and just be that humble, and that grateful. It's just like wow. I'd like to be able to do something like that. He is a legend... for real."
According to the OK Kids Koral website, "OK Kids Korral helps make life a little easier for children with cancer by providing a safe, convenient, and hopeful place for families to connect with each other and focus on the well-being of their child. OK Kids Korral provides daytime and overnight lodging for pediatric patients and their families.The state of the art facilities at OK Kids Korral are designed to create a relaxing haven for the entire family."
Sadly, Keith ended up losing his own battle with stomach cancer, but his legacy lives on.
