Toby Keith hosting Ally’s House fundraiser, working on new album
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
It’s tee time for Toby Keith, friends of Ally’s House
Toby Keith is watching the dream of a real home for Ally’s House draw closer to reality.
“We’ll probably have our biggest year overall as far as growth and achievement. Last year was a big year for us; we really moved forward,” the country star said Tuesday in a phone interview from Nashville, Tenn., where he has been working on his new album.
The Norman resident is back in Oklahoma to host the Sixth Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, benefiting the nonprofit cancer charity Ally’s House. The private two-day event includes a party, auction and concert tonight and celebrity golf tournament Saturday. Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer and Rogers Clemons are among the celebrities expected to attend, and Las Vegas band Yellow Brick Road will perform.
Keith helped found Ally’s House in 2004. The Norman-based nonprofit provides financial aid to Oklahoma children with cancer and their families and is named for 2-year-old Allison Webb. The daughter of Scott Webb, one of the star’s original bandmates, and Linda Webb, Ally died Aug. 6, 2003, of kidney cancer.
Last year, the Golf Classic raised more than $700,000 for the charity. The event’s five-year take totals $2.3 million.
“Each year, we’ve grown. You hope that you continue to grow, but there is a little bit of recession going on right now. But I still expect it to be fantastic as always,” Keith said. “In six years, we’ve accomplished a lot.”
The nonprofit has secured land on the OU Health Sciences Center campus and is looking at designs for an actual Ally’s House, which would lodge pediatric cancer patients and their families receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital. The plan is to offer housing similar to a Ronald McDonald House but specifically for children with cancer.
“We’re really trying to make sure that we get the right size facility for this area and for future growth,” said Linda Webb, Ally’s House executive director. “Our family stayed at a Ronald McDonald House in Memphis when Ally got treatment at St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital), and it’s just a real help to the families.”
Another Ally’s House project, the renovation of the oncology unit at Children’s Hospital is nearing completion. It includes a new playroom, family resource room, room for infusion treatments, and palliative care area.
“With kids, tiny steps are really big when you’re in that situation. If you can just make little parts of their world better, it’s … huge,” Keith said.
Along with the “sticks and bricks” projects, Keith said the nonprofit continues to provide financial help for Oklahoma pediatric cancer patients and their families. who often lose income because of the demands of tending a sick child.
“Ally’s House can still claim they’ve never turned anyone away,” he said.
As usual, the country star is staying busy. He recently completed his seventh United Service Organization tour of the Middle East, performing 15 shows in Afghanistan. He opened the latest restaurant in his I Love This Bar & Grill chain last week in Mesa, Ariz., and several more are in the works. In February, he unveiled the plans for his new casual clothing line, TK Steelman, in a Vegas fashion show.
“During that event, (we had) 12 major retailers get onboard,” he said. “Now, we’ve just gotta finished producing, mass manufacturing it.”
He also produced several songs on Tulsa comic-singer Rodney Carrington’s new album “El Nino Loco,” releasing next week, and Keith is nominated for two awards and will perform Tuesday at the CMT Music Awards.
And he will embark on his “America’s Toughest Tour” with fellow star Trace Adkins June 18 in Holmdel, N.J. In November, the tour will travel to Europe and he expects his new album to hit stores.
To know more
For more information about Ally’s House, call 733-ALLY (2559) or go to www.allyshouse.net.
-BAM
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Comments
Hoping it was another successful event for Ally’s House. Just one of the many reasons I’m proud to be a Toby Keith Warrior and a supporter of Ally’s House.
GO TOBY!!!!!!!!!!! I’m glad that he’s willing to help other people who are less fortunate than he is. I’m glad that I’m a huge TOBY KEITH fan and a Ally’s House support. What Ally’s house does for those kids is amazing. It tells you that they really and truely care for and love the children they serve as does TOBY KEITH
Toby Keith is amazing, he is always doing wonderful things for others, he doesn’t get near the recognition he deserves but he knows in our hearts he is the best! I watched an Hbo special this am, the soldier’s family had Toby’s American Soldier playing, he is everywhere, as it should be!
Thank-you for this article. God Bless You and ofcourse Toby and all of his family! It is so wonderful, he never forgets, each year Ally can count on him as can millions of others!