Toby Keith’s Golf Classic Raises Over $3.1 Million For 20th Anniversary
Backstage with OK Kids Korral families at the 20th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic. Photo: Ahh Shoot! Photography for OK Kids Korral
The 20th anniversary of Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, which took place May 31 and June 1, set a new fundraising mark this year. Between the golf tournament and a new endowment, the event raised more than $3.1 million.
As in prior years, the event included an opening gala and silent auction followed by a shotgun start golf tournament the next day. Among this year’s top selling auction items were custom guitars featuring the logo from each year of the event that sold twice for $90,000; two paintings by KWTV’s Robin Marsh which sold for $125,000; two guitars painted by Johnny Smith that sold for more than $100,000; a hand-drawn play by former OU head football coach Bob Stoops that sold for $35,000; and a VIP experience with baseball Hall of Famer Roger Clemens which auctioned for $40,000.
Keith’s former classmate Scott Fulkerson brought the crowd to its feet with a donation to push the auction total beyond $1 million. With 2024’s event surpassing $1.6 million, Keith and his friends have raised just shy of $20 million since the event’s inception.
Newly established this year, The Toby Keith Foundation announced the goal of creating a $10 million endowment and received pledges of more than $1.5 million during the gala. Hosts Stoops and Jim West welcomed Keith’s family and nine Korral families onstage during the event, which was headlined by the Eli Young Band, who were formerly signed to Keith’s Show Dog Nashville record label.
Despite the absence of its namesake, the event demonstrated the continued commitment to The Toby Keith Foundation and OK Kids Korral in support of children and families dealing with critical illnesses.
