A special moment at a BTS concert in Arlington has turned into $86,000 in donations for a Plano-based nonprofit helping families navigate childhood cancer.
Heroes for Children brought five girls to last weekend’s sold-out BTS concert at AT&T Stadium, giving them VIP treatment in a UnitedHealthcare suite. The outing was intended to bring some joy to families facing difficult circumstances.
“It’s a hard road at times. So these moments of joy are so very vital,” Heroes for Children founder Jenny Lawson said.
During the concert, BTS member Jimin singled out one of the 10-year-olds in the crowd, walking toward her and giving her a keychain and a kiss on the cheek.
“I don’t know that I could have ever imagined such a special moment happening. He walked directly towards her, and she gave her the keychain and gave her a kiss on the cheek. And the moment he did, she turned around and squealed, yelling, I got a kiss!” Lawson said.
The moment went viral, but what happened afterward surprised Lawson even more.
“Donations started coming in from all over the world,” Lawson said.
Lawson founded Heroes for Children to provide financial and social assistance to families battling childhood cancer. Since Sunday afternoon, BTS fans, known collectively as the BTS Army, have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the organization.
“Since Sunday afternoon, it has raised up to $86,000 from the fans. It’s unimaginable. It’s just something I’ve never seen before,” Lawson said.
The money will fund assistance for 40 families next month.
“It really showed me the scope of what this band has and the influence that they have on their fans. It showed that their fans believe in what their band does and what they put themselves behind,” Lawson said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.