Country star Keith says charity donations may have surpassed last year's $400,000

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Toby Keith says this year's charity auction for families of pediatric cancer patients may have surpassed the $400,000 raised last year.

The country music star was hosting the fourth annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic this weekend, which included a charity auction and dinner Friday in Oklahoma City.

"It was a late night, and I don't have all the numbers, but I think we raised more money last night than we ever have," Keith said Saturday. "I know that we raised about $400,000 last year, and I feel like we went past that last night."

The items auctioned included memorabilia from Garth Brooks, Sammy Hagar and Bob Seger, and sports memorabilia autographed by golfer Tiger Woods and baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle.

The proceeds benefit Ally's House, an organization named after the daughter of Keith's original bandmate Scott Webb. Allison died in August 2003, one month before her third birthday, from a form of kidney cancer called Wilm's tumors.

Keith and his foundation have raised more than $1.1 million to benefit the charity. It helps pay for medical bills, prescriptions, housing, transportation, toys, food, clothing and other expenses for families of children with cancer.