Charity addresses concerns about authenticity of jersey signed by Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, other items
Kate Bueckert | CBC News | Posted: March 1, 2024 5:23 PM | Last Updated: March 1
Charity says winning bidders 'with concerns or questions' should reach out to event organizers
A Guelph, Ont., charity says there have been concerns about whether items auctioned off last month — including a football jersey signed by Kansas City player Travis Kelce and his girlfriend, musician Taylor Swift — are authentic.
The auction was held by Linamar, a Guelph-based automotive parts manufacturer, during a private curling bonspiel held in February. Most of the items auctioned off could only be won by people in attendance.
One item that received a lot of attention was the football jersey that was advertised as having been signed by Kelce and Swift. It received so much attention that the jersey was posted to an online auction. The winning bid was $21,000.
Several people raised concerns about the authenticity of the signatures. Now, the charity says people who won items should reach out to the auction's organizers.
The Guelph Wish Fund for Children posted a statement on social media that said the items "were generously donated at this third-party community event."
"As a result, we are currently unable to verify the authenticity of these items and ask any winning bidders with concerns or questions to please reach out to the event organizers," the group said.
"Our organization is committed to transparency and would like to apologize for any confusion this situation has caused. We would like to emphasize (or clarify) that this event was organized by dedicated volunteers in our community and we are grateful for their efforts in supporting our cause."