Travis and Jason Kelce (Instagram)
The 22-year-old became the first Black American to win an Olympic medal in women’s ice hockey after Team USA defeated Canada in the gold-medal game. Team USA eventually defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime, securing only the third Olympic gold medal in U.S. women’s hockey history. Edwards’ Olympic journey was already historic before she stepped onto the ice. Edwards made an impact on the ice, recording an assist during the gold-medal victory.
Edwards’ father, Robert Edwards, launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Send Laila’s Family to the Olympics to Cheer Her On!” with a $50,000 target. The goal was designed to help the family avoid choosing between Olympic travel and essential bills at home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
The brothers donated $10,000 to a fundraiser that helped bring Edwards’ family and friends to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Kelce brothers, who also grew up in Cleveland Heights, had followed Edwards’ career since she became the first Black player to make the U.S. senior women’s national team in 2023. They later supported her through an anonymous $10,000 donation.
“We had to start talking about how to get money,” her mother Charone Gray-Edwards said, according to the Associated Press. He’s rooting for me,” she said, per the AP. Their support came after her family faced a difficult choice between watching her Olympic debut and covering everyday household expenses. Edwards went on to help Team USA win gold, creating a moment her family could celebrate together. “Who would go? How would we afford it? “He was just saying, everyone’s got my back. “They didn’t have to do that, but they did. And I’m really grateful.”
Earlier this year, Travis and Jason Kelce made a quiet contribution that helped make a special Olympic moment possible for U.S. hockey star Laila Edwards.