Events raise funds for Ally's House

By Sandi Davis

Published: May 23, 2006

Toby Keith's foundation offers help for families

Toby Keith looked relaxed sitting inside the Belmar Golf Club restaurant. Dressed in a yellow golf shirt, shorts and a Belmar baseball cap, the country music superstar kept his sunglasses on as he talked about Ally's House, the beneficiary of the third annual "Toby Keith and Friends Charity Golf Classic," and the frantic pace he'll begin as soon as he tees off in the tournament.

This year, Sunday night's dinner, auction and concert raised about $200,000 for "Ally's House," a place where Oklahoma children with cancer and their families get help with medical bills, short-term housing, travel, clothing, groceries and other needs.

The charity is named for Ally Webb, who died of cancer a month before her third birthday. Keith saw what his friends Linda and Scott Webb had to do to take care of a seriously ill child.

In the past, the money went directly to Ally's House. In January, Keith established the Toby Keith Foundation.

"Ninety percent of the money we make goes to Ally's House," Keith said.

Care kits provide help with prescriptions
The award-winning singer/songwriter says he gives $500,000 a year to Ally's House. Keith provides a building and office space for the charity, but Webb and volunteers do the rest.

Generally, when both parents work, one has to quit to stay with the child during treatment. With their income cut in half, they can get behind on bills and not have money for the child's prescriptions.

"When you come to Ally's House, you get a kit with Wal-Mart gift cards, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, everything you can think of. There are sewing kits inside. That's the first gift," Keith explained. "The prescriptions are the biggest gift. The one pill that bothers me the most -- two years ago it cost $100 a pill, I have no idea what it is now -- but after your child gets chemotherapy, this pill relieves the pain chemo causes. Well, most people don't have $100, but if you know it will make the pain go away, you'll buy it. We provide those pills.

"It's more of a link to ease the blow," he said. "You're not prepared, you have a lot of concerns. We ease a lot of those burdens."

As soon as Keith finished his golf game Monday, he planned to return home for a few hours before flying to Las Vegas and a 9:30 p.m. rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards. The show is tonight.

After the show, Keith will go to Nellis Air Force Base and get on a flight to Germany. From there he'll fly to somewhere in Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait and start a week's worth of two shows a day for military personnel.