We are now officially one week away from the start of women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. For 22 year old Team USA standout Laila Edwardsachieving her dream of making the final cut was a feeling of pure joy, but also the unfortunate reality that her family may not be able to afford to see her achieve that dream in person.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics women’s hockey tournament
Flights and lodging will not be paid for families of Team USA Olympians. In hockey, this creates a challenge that is especially unique for women’s players who don’t come close to what NHL Olympians do.
In a desperate plea to support her daughter, Laila’s mother, Charone Gray-Edwards, has set up a GoFundMe. The link stated:
“We would like nothing more than to travel to Italy to support [Laila] in her Olympic dream! This is simply not something we can afford on our own. So many communities have supported Laila during her hockey years. We’re asking for your help now so we can be there to cheer Laila up and surround her with the love and support of family.”
Soon the amount raised had grown by as much as $10,000 in one go – thanks to ‘Anonymous’. Laila, who just arrived from Cleveland Heights, Ohio the infamous Kelce brotherswas tipped off by a mutual friend that the donation was their work.
Following the publicity surrounding this generous gesture, the GoFundMe continued to boom as more than 600 individual people donated a total of another $59,000+. While the original goal was only for her mother Charone and sister Chayla to attend, the generosity now means her extended family can also participate: her father Robert, her older brother Bobby and her eldest sister Britney.
The donations were filled with comments that will put a smile on your face, like this one from a fan named Maria: “I always wanted to be a professional hockey player, but that wasn’t an option growing up. I’m glad to see you succeed! I’m so excited that times are changing AND especially for brown and black girls! I support you and your family! Let’s gooooo!!”
“It was so cool,” Laila said. “I reached out, thanked them and we had a little chat [over DMs]. It was really cool.”
Charone now plans to pay it forward: “With any excess funds, we hope to be able to reward this by creating a non-profit organization to support aspiring hockey players, just as the community has supported Laila.“
With her family, Laila will be a big part of the U.S. women’s quest for their third gold medal – and first since 2018. She currently has 36 points (8G, 28A) in 21 games for the University of Wisconsin.
They will play for the first time on Thursday, February 5 against the Czech Republic (10:40 a.m. EST).
#Kelce #Brothers #Incredible #Gesture #U.S #Womens #Hockey #Player #Laila #Edwards #Hockey #Writers #Olympics #Latest #News #Analysis