Entertainment

Kansas City Chiefs Mahomes, Kelce join Big Slick show; look for hosts on NBC ‘Today’

Big Slick already revealed a big list of celebrity guests for its Virtually Talented Show set for Saturday night.

But on Thursday, organizers announced even more names — including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce — to join in on the annual fundraiser for Children’s Mercy.

They also announced that two of the hometown hosts — Rob Riggle and David Koechner — will appear on the third hour of NBC’s “Today” show at 9 a.m. Friday, interviewed by Big Slick alum Al Roker.

Al Roker, a frequent guest at Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, will interview two of the hometown hosts Friday morning. He’s pictured here at the event in 2019, auctioning off goodies.
Al Roker, a frequent guest at Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, will interview two of the hometown hosts Friday morning. He’s pictured here at the event in 2019, auctioning off goodies. Roy Inman Special to The Star

Riggle and Koechner, along with Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis and Eric Stonestreet, normally host the annual celebrity softball game, bowling tourney and giant auction. But because of the pandemic, the whole shebang will be online, streaming at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 12, on Youtube.com/BigSlickKC and Facebook.com/BigSlickKC.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes basked in the crowd’s love at the Sprint Center at the 2019 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend auction. That’s Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at right.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes basked in the crowd’s love at the Sprint Center at the 2019 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend auction. That’s Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at right. ROYINMAN

The latest guests to be announced are three Chiefs players: quarterback Mahomes, tight end Kelce and offensive lineman Kyle Long (who apparently is still on despite his recent knee injury); actors Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”) and Martin Starr (“Silicon Valley,” “Spider-Man”); and sports broadcaster Curt Menefee.

Also making appearances: actors Tony Goldwyn (“Scandal”), Courtney B. Vance (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “The Hunt for Red October”), Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost,” “Hawaii Five-0”), Bill Irwin (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Timothy Busfield (“thirtysomething”) and comedians Jade Catta-Pretta and Mario Cantone.

They’ll join these previously announced guests: “Weird Al” Yankovik, magician Blake Vogt, Beth Dover, David Dastmalchian (who grew up in Overland Park), David Wain, CNN’s Jake Tapper (whose wife is from the area), Joe Lo Truglio, Kat McNamara (who grew up in Lee’s Summit), Kevin Pollak, Nate Bargatze, Samm Levine, Seth Herzog, Will Forte and Zachary Levi.

Musical performers include Brothers Osborne, David Cook (the Blue Springs native who won “American Idol”), and Jay and Joe Don (of Rascal Flatts). Special appearances by Carol Kane, Chris Noth, Dylan and Becky Ann Baker, Holland Taylor, Jeff Daniels, Lewis Black, Melissa Gilbert and Richard Kind.

The hour-long show will be free. But it is, after all, a major fundraiser for Children’s Mercy’s cancer center, so donations are encouraged. See bigslickkc.org.

Last year, the event was called Big Slick at Home and featured celebrities going on social media every night for 10 days. They raised $2,072,420, a total surpassed only by the $2.5 million of 2019 and $2.1 million the year before. The event has raised more than $12 million for Children’s Mercy over 11 years.

This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 3:53 PM.

Sharon Hoffmann
The Kansas City Star
Sharon Hoffmann was an enterprise editor at The Star. She grew up in the KC area, graduated from the University of Kansas and promptly moved away. After she married and had kids, she just had to come back. She has been editing Kansas City Star stories since 1999.
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