Anchor Kellie Burns celebrated for decades of charitable work in Southwest Florida
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
Kellie Burns is being celebrated this week for her decades of service to the Gulf Coast community, including her dedication to local charities and her impactful journalism career.
Burns shared her plans for the future, saying, “I’m going to spend more time outside and spend more time at the beach and just spend more time with my family, at least at first. And then I’m going to think where I’m needed in the community, and looking at ways that I can help serve this community just in a different way. Not at the news desk, but out, maybe with some nonprofits.”
Over the past three decades, Burns has helped raise more than $100 million for local nonprofits, including the Children’s Advocacy Center, Community Cooperative and Guadalupe Center, among others.
A local charity representative expressed admiration for Burns’ dedication, saying, “That has practically been a second full-time job for you. I am always so incredibly impressed by how much of your time and energy, which is already stretched thin, you give to worthy causes in our community.”
Burns reflected on her charitable work, saying, “This community is so generous and really it has inspired me to give back too. And so it’s just been an honor. Nothing makes me feel better after an event than knowing that we raise money for people who really need it in our community, and it’s what has kept me continuing to do that mission. As a sidebar, as a side hustle in my career, because it’s given me more than I’ve given to it.”
A special send-off for Burns is planned for Thursday night at 8 p.m., celebrating her 36 years in journalism and her lasting impact on the Gulf Coast community.
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