BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Beth Hofmann, co-founder of Hoffman Hospice, said Sanders was a great choice for this year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
“Hoffman Hospice is what it is \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“Flying blind, but excited to see Deion Sanders. He was a childhood hero,” Steele said.<\/p>\n
Official fundraising totals from the evening have not yet been released. This story will be updated once those numbers are available.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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