KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travis Kelce started 87 & Running, his charitable foundation, with the idea of giving those in a need a hand up.
Kelce found an ideal partner in Operation Breakthrough, a nonprofit started by two transplanted Catholic nuns whose idea to provide child care for impoverished families in 1971 has grown into one of the largest and most successful charities centered on nurturing children in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end marveled at the organization Sisters Berta Sailer and Corita Bussanmas started and grew into a powerhouse for good in the community more than a half-century ago.
Sailer, better known to most simply as “Sister Berta,” died last week and Kelce joined the chorus of those expressing condolences and remarking on the impactful life she led Friday during a press conference at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Sister Berta was an amazing woman and our hearts have been out with her family and everyone over at Operation Breakthrough since she’s passed,” Kelce said.
Kelce’s upbringing, which brought him close to poverty and the impacts it has on children and families, has always informed 87 & Running’s mission.
But he quickly learned that supporting Operation Breakthrough was easier than reinventing the wheel.
“It blew my mind that that organization was already implemented and had already had the infrastructure to be able to take care of the families it had been able to take care of,” Kelce, a 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, said. “It drew me in to want to be a part of that and to keep that thing going — even more now so than ever, knowing that she’s gone.”
Kelce’s nonprofit partnered with Operation Breakthrough to build the Ignition Lab in 2020, enhancing STEM education and opportunities in conjunction with the charity he’s adopted.
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Sister Berta’s death highlights the importance of keeping her work going.
“Operation Breakthrough is such a staple for this community, especially on that east side,” Kelce said. “It’s a beautiful thing when you go in there, so just trying to appreciate what she started and keep that thing rolling. It’s an amazing opportunity for the kids over there.”
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