Toby Keith Fundraiser Brings in $709,000

Toby Keith's annual fundraiser for families of children with cancer raised $709,000 this year.

The money goes to Ally's House, a charity started after original band member Scott Webb's 2-year-old daughter, Allison, died of kidney cancer in 2003. The charity provides for families' needs, such as prescriptions, rent or mortgage payments, utilities and gasoline and hopes to eventually build a center near an Oklahoma City hospital to provide lodging.

Five years of private concerts, auctions and golf tournaments have raised more than $2.3 million.

About 750 celebrities and guests attended the private concert, party and auction earlier this month. Two dinners with Keith sold for $35,000 apiece, and a chance to ride on the boat named Northwestern from Discovery Channel's ''Deadliest Catch'' fetched $27,500.

The opportunity to be in one of the 46-year-old singer-songwriter's music videos brought in a donation of $25,000.

———

On the Net:

www.allyshouse.net