KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nathan Hale wasn’t familiar with the Historic Harris-Kearney House Museum before hearing a radio interview with Tammy Reid, the wife of the Chiefs’ head coach, earlier this month.
But he was intrigued by the raffle package — two tickets to the Chiefs-Ravens game, a parking pass, pregame sideline passes and an Andy Reid autographed ball — that the Reids donated to the Westport Historical Society, which owns the oldest two-story brick building in Kansas City.
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“I was like, ‘Dang, that sounds like a pretty good package. I’ll throw my name in there,’” said Nathan Hale, who lives in Smithville with his wife, Kynzie.
He bought a five-pack of raffle tickets for $100, but he was still shocked to receive a phone call on Sept. 7 to let him know he’d won.
“Totally shocked when they called me and I was the winner,” he said. “I went online on Facebook to see all the videos of them drawing my name, and I was like, ‘Wow, that actually happened.’ I couldn’t believe it.”
Kynzie added, “He didn’t tell me he had entered the raffle. I didn’t know until they called him and told him he won, so I was pretty excited.”
That’s how the Hales found themselves standing a few yards from the west end zone Sunday inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs warmed up ahead of a 37-20 drubbing of the Ravens.
“This is freakin’ sweet,” Nathan said as the team emerged from the tunnel to the Chiefs’ locker room and trotted on the field.
“Yeah, this is awesome,” Kynzie said.
“I’ve never been this close ever,” Nathan added. “I mean, we’re right in the middle of it.”
Tammy Reid is used to the spectacle, but she relished seeing the Hales enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
“He kept saying, ‘I’m shocked. I can’t even believe it,’” said Reid, who serves on the Westport Historical Society board. “I love when that happens, because they didn’t expect it and they’re like, ‘This is so unbelievable.' So it was great to meet Nathan and his wife.”
The Westport Historical Society still has a long way to go to meet its long-term goal, but “it’s always great when people are supporting us by getting the word out,” Reid said.
The Harris-Kearney House, which used slave labor to source bricks and during construction, was originally built at the corner of Westport Road and Main Street, but it was moved to 4000 Baltimore Ave. in 1922. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
Col. John Harris, a hotelier who operated the nearby Harris House Hotel for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail, and his wife, Henrietta, built the house, which passed to his son-in-law and daughter, Col. Charles E. and Josephine Kearney.
It’s reasonably well preserved for its age, but a backlog of deferred maintenance has taken its toll.
“We have a capital campaign kicking off,” Reid said. “We’re going to need $500,000, so come visit us, join and become a member, if you want to. All my friends are. They’re like, ‘Oh, we can do that. That’s so easy.’”
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KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.