Kansas City Big Slick names first celebrity guests: Stars of ‘Parks & Rec’ and WWE
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2022 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend
After the pandemic sent it online two years in a row, Big Slick Celebrity Weekend is back, in person, June 24-25. Here’s what to know.
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Adam Scott, who played lovable Ben Wyatt on “Parks and Recreation,” and WWE superstar Happy Corbin, a Lenexa native, lead off the celebrity guest list for Big Slick weekend this month.
They will join Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Eric Stonestreet, Rob Riggle and David Koechner as Kansas City’s famous funny men host their annual fundraiser for Children’s Mercy. The two-day event, June 24 and 25, includes a softball game and star-studded party with an auction.
Until the pandemic hit, the Big Slick posse would always pull into town with a group of celebrity friends, but the past two years the event was online only.
Organizers will announce the other guests over the next few days.
Other celebrities announced Monday include returning guests Andrea Savage (“Veep,” “Step Brothers” and Tru TV’s “I’m Sorry”), Randy Flagler (“Chicago Fire”) and David Zayas (“Dexter,” “The Expendables” and “Bloodline.”)
Scott made headlines this year for his surreal Apple TV+ show “Severance.” He also appeared in “Big Little Lies” and “Step Brothers.” But he’s probably best known as Amy Poehler’s sweet love interest on “Parks and Rec.”
This will be Corbin’s first Big Slick appearance. Born Tom Pestock in Johnson County, the WWE star played football for Northwest Missouri State and was a member of the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before becoming a wrestler. He recently changed his ring name from Baron Corbin.
He has nearly 1.5 million followers between Instagram and Twitter, where he is known as Mayor of Jackpot City.
In the past, Selena Gomez, actress Sarah Chalke of “Roseanne,” “Today” show host Al Roker, “The Sixth Sense” star Haley Joel Osment, CNN journalist Jake Tapper and a raft of comedians, including Will Forte and Johnny Knoxville, have been here.
Riggle, Rudd and Sudeikis, who all grew up in Overland Park, started Big Slick in 2010 as a celebrity poker tournament to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Children’s Mercy. Stonestreet, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Koechner, from Tipton, Missouri, joined as co-hosts in 2014.
This year the celebs will play in the Big Slick Celebrity Classic softball game at Kauffman Stadium at 5 p.m. Friday, June 24. Anyone who buys a ticket to the Kansas City Royals game that night against the Oakland A’s can watch the celebrity softball game beforehand for free.
The weekend’s main event is the Big Slick Party & Show at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at the T-Mobile Center downtown. Tickets — which range from $75 for standard lower level to $250-$375 for upgraded seats with Founder’s Club access, including drink tickets or open bar — are at bigslickkc.org and T-MobileCenter.com.
In between the comedy and musical performances that night, people can try to outbid each other on a slate of auction items, some that in the past have gotten folks up close and personal with the stars. Rudd, for instance, donated a visit to the set of one of his Ant-Man movies one year.
At the most recent show in 2019, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the bidding on a barbecue and whiskey dinner with himself and teammates. That particularly raucous night set a Big Slick record by raising $2.5 million.
Returning to live audiences will almost certainly reignite that fundraising mojo. Like most everything else during the pandemic, Big Slick proceeds took a hit.
Last year’s online-only Virtually Talented Show — which spawned watch parties around town — raised just over $1 million, less than the $2 million-plus Big Slick had made in each of the three previous years.
To date, Big Slick has donated more than $13 million to the hospital.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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