NORMAN — Toby Keith and his buddies are continuing to build Ally’s House.
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Last weekend’s fifth annual Toby Keith & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic grossed $699,000, the largest amount the event has ever raised, said Keith’s publicist, Elaine Schock.
Last year, the two-day event took in more than $500,000.
Ally’s House is a Norman-based nonprofit organization that helps Oklahoma children with cancer and their families. It is named for Allison Webb, the 2-year-old daughter of Scott Webb, one of Keith’s original bandmates, and his wife Linda Webb.
Ally died in 2003 of kidney cancer; her parents and the country music superstar founded the charity the following year.
“Ally’s House continually provides for any kid with cancer who’s in need,” Keith said Friday night at Riverwind Casino in Norman. “It’s tremendous the accomplishments, the goals that we’ve obtained. ... Our dreams are really getting close now.”
About 750 celebrities and guests crowded into the casino’s Showplace Theatre Friday night for “Diamonds and Denim,” a private concert, party and auction. Two dinners with Keith nabbed the highest bids, selling for $35,000 each.
On Saturday, the Norman entertainer and dozens of his famous pals played a golf tournament at Belmar Golf Club in Moore.
Linda Webb, Ally’s House executive director, said the event not only raises money, it raises awareness.
“People from all over the country have really rallied around Ally’s House,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to help kids with cancer?”
The nonprofit is working to secure land on the OU Health Sciences Center campus to build a center to house Oklahoma children with cancer receiving treatments at Children’s Hospital at and their families.
Keith isn’t surprised that the charity is moving so quickly toward that goal.
“I know when you find something where there’s a void and you get this many people working in one direction it happens pretty quick,” he said. “Once people start seeing that you’re serious about it and you’re running a real event and they start seeing the results of the money ... everybody starts getting behind it.”
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Great news. Toby Keith seems like such a great American and patriot. This story just goes to show you that nice guys are nice guys. Of course, it's probably pretty easy to get some big dogs on the line, when the Big Dog Daddy is calling asking for their help, don't you think?
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.