Toby Keith & Friends Set New Record

The 19th Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised a record $1.8 million earlier this month (June 2-3), bringing its all-in total to almost $18 million in support of OK Kids Korral, the cost-free home for families of children battling cancer. 

The event's high-water mark was driven by record-setting auction items from the Sawyer Brown-headlined, denim and diamonds-themed dinner Friday (6/2). More than 750 people attended. Among the top bids:

·   Guitar signed by Taylor Swift: $120,000

·      Fishing trip with Toby Keith and Jimmy Houston: $80,000

·      Dinner with Toby Keith: $70,000

·      Game of Thrones trip to Croatia & Spain: $20,000 (11 were sold)

·      Guitar donated by Country Countdown USA's Lon Helton: $44,000

            -Signatures from Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Parker McCollum, Cole Swindell, Jordan Davis, Brantley Gilbert, Russell Dickerson, Brett Young, Ingrid Andress, Maren Morris, Luke Bryan and Jelly Roll.

Other auction items included memorabilia from NFL quarterback Joe Burrow, NBA star Steph Curry and golf icon Tiger Woods, as well as items from Ashley Furniture, Crew's Cottage Carlton Landing, The Joinery, Tim Kenney, Travis McIntyre, Red Fork Distillery, Kennel & Crate, Ryan Cunningham, South OKC Ace Hardware and LOREC Ranch Home Furnishings. 

The Saturday golf tournament (6/3) featured 55 teams and celebrated the morning winners Isa Camall, Joe Lemeux, Lane Wallace, Mark Moore and Ben Hayes. Afternoon tournament winners were Ryan Sparkman, Harvey Sparkman, Drew Goodman, Carson Sparkman and Evan Sparkman. The $10,000 shootout winner was Pete Penner.

Established in 2006, The Toby Keith Foundation built on Toby’s earlier efforts to support Oklahoma pediatric cancer patients – quite literally in raising funds to construct OK Kids Korral, which opened nine years ago. "Next year, it'll be the 10th year for OK Kids Korral, 20th year of my foundation party," Keith told The Oklahoman at this year's event. "We're gonna celebrate a 10 and a 20, and we're gonna blow it out. It's amazing how much support we get. But it takes that kind of support to handle 300 families a year."