NEED TO KNOW
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Aaron Fulk met Travis Kelce through a local Kansas City, Mo. charity over a decade ago
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While the two fell out of touch, Fulk recently posted a TikTok joking about how she wishes she had kept that connection due to his relationship with Taylor Swift
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Fulk tells PEOPLE that Kelce is “so nice and kind” and she thinks he and Swift make an “adorable” couple
When Aaron Fulk heard the Kansas City Chiefs’ newest tight end was going to be at her charity’s event over a decade ago, she didn’t think anything of it. Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ tight end at the time, was passing the torch off to the fresh-faced Travis Kelce, who was drafted to the organization in 2013.
For years, Gonzalez had been involved in the local charity called Shadow Buddies, where Fulk had a spot on the board. The organization pairs “medically challenged children across the country and around the world” with plush dolls with similar health conditions.
Aaron Fulk
Travis Kelce and Aaron Fulk
“When he was leaving and Travis Kelce was coming, Kelce said, ‘I wanna give back,'” Fulk, 45, tells PEOPLE.
According to Fulk, Gonzalez told Kelce that having a Chiefs player at the annual gala was “a big pull for people” to attend, so “Travis said he would do it.”
“I sat on the board with him, and he came to the events,” Fulk explains of the natural progression of their friendship, noting that the NFL star, 35, was always “so nice and kind.”
Working in social media and marketing, Fulk often took photos and videos of Kelce at the events. Then, in 2016, E! News announced they were going to create a reality dating show centered on the then-single athlete, called Catching Kelce.
Since Kelce “didn’t know a ton of people” in Kansas City, Mo., aside from his teammates at the time, people from the Shadow Buddies organization stepped in to help for one of the episodes.
Aaron Fulk
The set of Catching Kelce
“The board all went and were extras on the date. It felt very real,” Fulk shares. “They told you where to sit, and it really was fun. I didn’t notice the cameras as much, and Kelce felt very authentic.”
The episode and accompanying fashion show were in support of Kelce’s charity, 87 and Running, which empowers disadvantaged youth by providing resources and support to their communities in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.
When Fulk and Kelce crossed paths again years later, she says the athlete was just as kind, asking about her kids and checking in on her family.
It turns out, it’s not just Kelce that Fulk has a connection to. Years ago, around 2010, her friend from the University of Kansas, Abigail (yes, that Abigail), and her boyfriend at the time invited Fulk to see Abigail’s friend perform at a nearby concert.
Of course, that singer turned out to be Taylor Swift.
Fast forward to July 2023, and Fulk took her daughter to see Swift’s Eras Tour in Kansas City — and Kelce was there too. It was the same concert that the NFL player famously tried to shoot his shot with the Grammy winner — and the rest is history.
“I think they’re adorable,” Fulk says, noting that she is a big fan of Swift’s discography.
In light of the couple’s engagement news, Fulk posted a TikTok video featuring old photos of her and Kelce, captioned, “What’s one friendship you wish you would have kept in touch better with over the years so you could be invited to their wedding?”
David Eulitt/Getty
Taylor Swift celebrates with Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs after defeating the Buffalo Bills AFC Championship Game.
While Fulk admittedly wouldn’t consider Kelce to be a friend, she emphasizes that “he’s just a really great guy.”
“The city is so small that you always hear things. I know he is always going to bat for anything nonprofit… like Operation Breakthrough, he is involved with now,” she says. “It’s an incredible organization that’s grown so much. He worked with Shadow Buddies for years. I think he’s a great guy. He gives back a lot to Kansas City.”
While Kelce has embraced Kansas City with open arms, the city has done the same for his bride-to-be, with local businesses even flying flags with Swift’s face on them, Fulk says.
“It’s just incredible,” she adds, wishing the happy couple nothing but the best — with or without an invite to their big day.
Read the original article on People