BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Deion Sanders served as the keynote speaker Thursday night at the Dignity Health Theater for the annual Voices of Inspiration fundraising event supporting Hoffman Hospice.
The event raises funds for Hoffman Hospice, its patients, and their families. In previous years, the fundraiser has drawn big names like five-time World Series winner Derek Jeter and Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg.
During his time on stage, Sanders discussed his upbringing, his years playing at the highest level of sports and how he continues to inspire others. He left the crowd with a parting thought, telling attendees to believe in themselves because they are the only person who can do it best.
While video recording of Sanders on stage was not permitted, news crews were allowed access to the meet-and-greet area where Sanders spent time with Bakersfield residents.
Beth Hofmann, co-founder of Hoffman Hospice, said Sanders was a great choice for this year’s event because of his journey through professional sports and a recent bout with cancer as he leads the University of Colorado football team. She added that the organization is able to hold the event because of the community's ongoing support.
"Hoffman Hospice is what it is – the patients we serve around 400 a day, families and patients. We get to do that because of the support of this community. Tom and I were born and raised here, and we're very proud of this program, and we love our community, so we get to do this," Hofmann said.
Several attendees shared what brought them to the event. First-time attendee Travis Steele said he was not sure what to expect from the evening but was excited for the opportunity to hear from someone larger than life.
"Flying blind, but excited to see Deion Sanders. He was a childhood hero," Steele said.
Official fundraising totals from the evening have not yet been released. This story will be updated once those numbers are available.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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