- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce donated $26 million to charities ahead of their wedding day.
- The Store in Nashville was a recipient of a generous monetary gift that will provide food to families in need.
- Founded by Brad and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store is a no-pay grocery store that works to fight food insecurity in Middle Tennessee.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce flooded news headlines last week, and not only because of their nuptials. Yes, the celebrity couple’s July 3 wedding was undoubtedly the most talked-about event of the year, but it was their generosity in the days leading up to their walk down the aisle that will make a lifelong impact.
As reported by Variety, Taylor and Travis handed out a whopping $26 million to various charities around the country ahead of their big day. Those 20 charities included a mix of children’s hospitals, educational programs (music, primarily), and an animal cruelty organization, as well as programs that feed families experiencing food insecurity.
The Store in Nashville is one of those with a mission of feeding hungry mouths. Founded by country music hitmaker Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, six years ago, The Store is a nonprofit, no-pay grocery store inspired by a similar idea the couple saw in California. The grocery store’s efforts also include budgeting and cooking classes, as well as back-to-school help for families in need.
“We just wanted to take a second and say it’s transformative, it will feed so many families, and what a way to start a marriage,” Brad remarks in a video message shared on social media. “I’m so excited.”
Kimberly had more to say, adding that they are “so, so grateful” for Travis and Taylor’s donation. She points out that food insecurity is at a 10-year high in the Nashville area, so the timing is “just so critical,” she continues. “We’re just really grateful for your generosity.”
The exact dollar amount that The Store received was not revealed. A second location of The Store opened in January, allowing even more people in Tennessee access to food at no cost, while preserving dignity by offering a unique shopping experience that feels more like a traditional grocery store than a food pantry.
With their donations, Taylor and Travis may have included kind notes, but gave no indication that their wedding was right around the corner. However, July 3 had been the rumored date, so when news of these contributions started to trickle out, people assumed the big day was happening very soon. And on the eve of America’s 250th birthday, Ms. Swift said “yes” to Mr. Kelce in a private, but not at all secret, ceremony at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.
Taylor has called Nashville home (one of them) since she was a teenager, but her gift to The Store is especially dear to her heart because of her relationship with the Paisleys. She opened Brad’s Bonfires and Amplifiers Tour while promoting her debut album in 2007. She was just 17 then, but they’ve stayed friends in the nearly 20 years since. Given that they’re wearing their Sunday best in the video Brad and Kimberly shared — and appear to be in a hotel room — it’s a safe bet they were preparing to attend Taylor and Travis’s wedding when they shot it.
Other country stars in attendance at the “Love Story” singer’s wedding: Tim McGraw, The Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, and Kelsea Ballerini.
Taylor and Travis also donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides books to children to inspire a love of reading from an early age.
Amanda Hensel Jermstad is a skilled writer based in Austin, Texas. She spent 14 years as Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Country, where she led coverage of the artists, stories and trends shaping country music. With a career deeply rooted in the genre, Amanda has built a reputation for sharp editorial insight and authentic storytelling. Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of three.
