The brothers helped one family raise awareness about a rare type of cancer.
Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce are giving back. The brothers recently stepped out to visit Brookline Volunteer Fire Company in Havertown, Pennsylvania, after learning of a late man's fight with cancer.
Jess Viola tells ET that the NFL stars visited the fire station, at which her husband and father-in-law are both members, in the wake of her brother-in-law, Brendan McDermott's, death. Brendan died on May 21, 2023, almost five years after he was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. He is survived by his wife, Meghan McDermott, and their "miracle baby," Anna.
"Jason and Travis were both so nice, normal, and hilarious," Jess tells ET of the brothers' visit. "You can tell they are the kind of people who never forgot where they came from and are super down to earth."
When the Kelces arrived, Jess presented them with a hat for #TeamRectify, the family's Cycle for Survival team, which is raising money for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's rare cancer fundraising program. Throughout his cancer battle, Brendan underwent multiple treatments and surgeries at the New York City hospital.
"Jason and Travis both put their hats right on and were so sweet when listening to the story about Brendan," Jess says. "Brendan was a diehard Philadelphia sports fan and I have no doubt he is smiling down right now and so happy his favorite Eagles player and his superstar brother are rocking the hats he was so incredibly proud of. They truly were both so incredibly nice."
The brothers' visit was a welcome one for Brendan's widow, as it helped to spread the word about the importance of early detection of colorectal cancer.
"My sister is so happy that Brendan’s story is being shared," Jess says. "He was really passionate about getting the word out there about early detection of colorectal cancer, so we're doing everything in our power to keep his memory alive and raise money so MSK can find a cure and other families don't have to go through this."
Jason played for the Philadelphia Eagles for 13 seasons. On Monday, the center emotionally announced his retirement from the NFL with his family by his side.
Watch the video below for more on the Kelces.
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