29 November 2023 , 22:43
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NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce were left stunned by the generosity of Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney and his wife Kaitlin Olson.
The "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" actors won an auction for a Philadelphia Eagles letterman jacket inspired by one Princess Diana made famous in the 1990s. The jacket, which was recently re-released at a retail price of $400, was signed and modelled by Jason's wife, Kylie, and fetched $100,000 (£79,000) in the auction.
The money will be donated to the Eagles Autism Foundation, a charity Jason and Kylie work closely with, and McElhenney said he has been inspired to support the cause by his association with Wrexham. The Welcome To Wrexham documentary series has shed light on the work the League Two club does to improve inclusivity for neurodivergent supporters.
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The series also focuses on star striker Paul Mullin and his young son, Albi, who has autism and is non-verbal. The striker allowed the cameras behind the scenes and they captured the 29-year-old's beautiful relationship with his son. Appearing on the Kelce brothers' New Heights podcast, McElhenney – who co-owns Wrexham with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds – explained why they wanted to donate such a significant sum to the cause.
"We truly believe in this organization and it’s actually something we really leaned into at Wrexham as well," he said. "In fact, we’ve done a few episodes of the documentary about the autistic community and spanning the whole spectrum of all sorts of neurodivergent disorders.
"It’s something we talk about all the time and something we feel really strongly about so to be part of it in any way. $100,000 felt like a good number. We’re just honoured to be part of it with you guys." Jason, an Eagles legend and one of the greatest offensive linemen of his generation, was blown away by the donation, while Travis described their support as "outstanding".
Jason, 36, added: "Thank you so much for supporting the foundation. Every dollar goes to autism-related research and support for families. It’s a really highly-run foundation and I can’t thank you guys enough for always being supporters of it and supporters of the autism community. This is beyond generous, you guys are incredible, you’re great at everything you do."
Jason and McElhenney have become friends through the Eagles, with the actor a die-hard fan of the team. Travis, meanwhile, is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, but he has soared to global stardom in recent months after he started dating music icon Taylor Swift.