Jam for Toby raises $50k for OK Kids Korral

Mar. 15—A grassroots-led movement raised over $50,000 for the Toby Keith Foundation charity, OK Kids Korral, which provides assistance to families with children who are hospitalized.

Jam for Toby was the brainchild of Ean Kampmeyer, a technician at Tinker Air Force Base and avid Toby Keith fan who wanted to do something good after learning about the loss of the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Cleveland County native.

Keith was raised in Moore and attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School. Later in life, he moved to Northeast Norman near Belmar where he raised children who attended Whittier High School and Norman North High School and later went on to the University of Oklahoma.

The fundraiser took place Feb. 24 at Mooney's Pub & Grill, Belle Starr Saloon in Purcell, and The Landing Zone in Midwest City. Mooney's and The Landing Zone raised $35,000 and Belle Starr $15,068 for a total of $50,068.

On social media, the Toby Keith Foundation posted its appreciation for event organizers.

"It takes a village! Thank you, Mooney's Pub & Grill, Belle Starr Saloon, The Landing Zone, Rodney Carothers, and all of the other wonderful vendors that made Hometown Jam such a success. They raised over $50,000 for OK Kids Korral!"

Juliet Nees-Bright, Toby Keith Foundation executive director, said many people approached the organization and asked what they could do to show their respect following Keith's death.

"You never know what to expect when someone's hosting an event for you and we were just honestly blown away by how much support they received, and all the work they put into it," Nees-Bright said.

She said the money will go toward the general funds of the OK Kids Korral.

"It costs us about half a million dollars to operate, which is free of charge to the families who stay with us," Nees-Bright said.

She said the nonprofit operates similarly to the Ronald McDonald House by giving families a place to stay when children receive treatment.

"Ronald McDonald House helps all critically ill or injured children and we are very specific to children with cancer," Nees-Bright said. "We want to make sure that kids with cancer in the State of Oklahoma always have a place that they can call any minute of the day in an emergency, or even if it's not an emergency, and have a place to stay."

At the event, dozens of musicians performed in front of thousands of fans who donated to the foundation.

"I don't have a number of how many people showed up, but we had over 1,000 people just at Mooney's alone," Kampmeyer said. "It went beautifully. I mean, we couldn't have asked for a better day and better weather."

He said he was concerned about possible run-ins, bringing thousands of inebriated enthusiasts together.

"We had no altercations, we didn't have to throw anybody out, there were no fights, and no nothing. Everything was super chill. Everybody got along so well," Kampmeyer said.

He said he was shocked at the generosity of the community.

"Our goal was to raise between $20,000 to $30,000. When the numbers were coming in that night to over $50,000, we did a lot of double takes and a lot of recounting because it was kind of nuts," Kampmeyer said.

He said 100% of the money went to the foundation. Neither he, nor did any of the musicians or organizers take any money for the work they put into the event.

Kampmeyer said he started working at 6 a.m. and didn't stop until 3 a.m. the next day. The music stopped at 11:30 p.m., but he stuck around to clean up and count money.

"It's all being used for good. I know what they do and how they use the money. This is going to go a long way," he said.

Last week, Kampmeyer and other event organizers presented the two checks to OK Kids Korral, where they were able to meet some of the families who benefit from the foundation.

"They're looking at maybe making it a yearly event, but we don't know yet. It just depends on a lot of things," he said.

He said the work was worth it because it not only raised money for a good cause, but it brought people together and reminded them it is important for them to be a part of something greater and do good.

"When it came down to it, this happened because people showed up. We were all just there for one cause. We came to have a good time, raise money, and help kids out. I can't even put into words just how nice the vibes were there," he said.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.