In Honor of Toby Keith: Fans Donate 'Thousands' to Country Star's Beloved Foundation After His Death From Cancer at 62
Feb. 15 2024, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
The music world is mourning the loss of country legend Toby Keith after he lost his battle with stomach cancer at 62.
RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal that the chart-topping performer is continuing to help others and pay it forward in the wake of his passing.
Keith's beloved charity project has received "thousands" of donations in honor of the singer within a matter of days, as his 16-year-old hits collection simultaneously tops the Billboard Album Chart.
Instead of flowers, the family asked fans to send donations to The Toby Keith Foundation, which encourages the health and happiness of pediatric cancer patients and supports OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for children and their families to stay during treatments.
"The whole process will take quite some time, but we are incredibly honored by the outpouring of kindness and respect shown to Toby and his foundation," Juliet Nees-Bright, executive director at The Toby Keith Foundation and Director of Operations for OK Kids Korral, told RadarOnline.com in a statement about the contributions.
The Toby Keith Foundation has been helping children with cancer since 2006 and later opened OK Kids Korral in 2014.
OK Kids Korral is located in Oklahoma and features 12 private suites, each of which sleeps up to five people and features comfortable living areas, and a laundry room.
In addition to a movie theater, relaxation gardens, game room, and teen area, there is also a "neutropenic wing for children with weakened immune systems," so all families can feel comfortable and cared for during their stay.
The country crooner died on Feb. 5. "He fought his fight with grace and courage," the family shared. Keith is survived by his wife of 40 years, Tricia Covel, and their three children, Shelley, 43, Krystal, 38, and Stelen, 26.
Last year, Keith spoke about how he remained strong even during tough times.
The Should've Been a Cowboy singer said it was "a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you're up and down, up and down," he told E! News. "It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today."
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In an Instagram post following his death, his loved ones revealed they will be hosting a private funeral service for family, band, and crew only in mid-February, as well as a memorial service that will be announced on social media shortly.