Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s multimillion-dollar charitable gift has prompted deeply personal messages from the families it was created to support. The newlywed couple donated $2 million to Answer the Call NYC, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to the relatives of New York City police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel who died in the line of duty. Weeks after the gift was announced, several surviving family members thanked Swift and Kelce while sharing how closely their own lives were already connected to the singer’s music and the football star’s career.
The $2 million donation was part of the $26 million Swift and Kelce reportedly distributed among at least 20 charitable organizations before their July 3 wedding celebration at Madison Square Garden. Answer the Call NYC publicly thanked the couple in a July 2 Instagram statement from executive director Lauren Profeta.
“We are extremely grateful to Taylor and Travis for their incredible support,” Profeta said. “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.”
Answer the Call NYC later shared a collection of messages from the families it assists, allowing them to express what the donation meant in their own words.
The Organization Says The Gift Will Make A ‘Tangible Difference’
In its July 20 Instagram post, Answer the Call NYC explained that multiple families wanted to thank Swift and Kelce personally after learning about their contribution.
“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 organization wrote. “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.”
An NYPD Detective’s Widow Says The Donation Provides Hope
Patricia Polimeni was among the surviving relatives who thanked Swift and Kelce. Her husband, NYPD Detective Jack Polimeni, died in April 2020. She told the couple that their contribution represented “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,” Polimeni wrote. That idea also carried particular significance for families who lost loved ones during the September 11 attacks.
Mary Farino, whose husband, FDNY Battalion Chief Thomas Farino, died in the 9/11 attacks, described the couple’s generosity as especially meaningful ahead of another painful anniversary. “I cannot express how much your donation means!” she wrote.
Farino acknowledged that “this upcoming anniversary of 9/11 will be a tough one” for her family. Her children were still young when they lost their father. “My children were six and 10-years-old when their dad was killed,” she explained.
Farino then revealed that both of her children had developed personal connections to Swift and Kelce over the years. “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,” she recalled. “My son is not just a football fan, he is a Travis Kelce fan. How special for my family to have you honor such a great charity.”
One Family Still Remembers Taylor Swift’s Concert Gesture
Allison Garger also shared her appreciation for the couple’s “amazing” donation. Her husband, FDNY firefighter Thomas J. Kennedy, died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Garger said her family had supported Swift for years and recalled an unforgettable moment involving her son Michael at one of the singer’s concerts.
“We have been fans of yours forever!” Garger wrote. “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!”
The memory gave Swift and Kelce’s gift an added layer of meaning for a family that had already been touched by the singer long before the donation was announced.
The Couple Donated To At Least 20 Charities
Answer the Call NYC was one of numerous organizations that reportedly received support from Swift and Kelce. Their $26 million charitable commitment included donations to nine food banks, with one located in Swift’s hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania.
The couple also directed funds toward three children’s hospitals and seven educational programs.
