Heidi Gardner inducted as newest co-host for the Big Slick 2023 Celebrity Weekend

Heidi Gardner added as co-host alongside Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, David Koechner and Eric Stonestreet. // Courtesy of Big Slick

Heidi Gardner, Saturday Night Live star and Kansas City, MO native, has been added to the line-up of co-hosts for the Big Slick 2023 Celebrity Weekend, June 2-3, joining Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, David Koechner and Eric Stonestreet.

I know a lot of us are thinking that it’s about time Gardner joined the list. Even her alma-mater Notre Dame de Sion voted her “Most Likely to be on SNL,” knowing that she was destined to make a big name for herself and her hometown.

Gardner was actually asked to be a new co-host at the end of last year’s celebrity weekend on the T-Mobile stage. This was while they were celebrating raising over $3.5 for Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

Big Slick was started in 2010 by Riggle, Rudd, and Sudeikisas as a celebrity poker tournament and party that raised money for Children’s Mercy. This first event took nine weeks to plan and raised $120,000.

Since then, the event has evolved, Koechner and Stonestreet joined as co-hosts in 2014 and a poker tournament is no longer the main event. However, the core goals to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Mercy KC has remained the same. 

There are two core events this year: the Big Slick Celebrity Classic softball game at Kauffman Stadium June 2, and the Big Slick Party & Show at T-Mobile Center June 3. Additional details about celebrity guests and performers will be announced leading up to the weekend.

Presale tickets, including the limited number of VIP tickets, go on sale March 8 for Big Slick insiders and email subscribers. You can sign up to receive emails at www.bigslickkc.org.

Presale tickets for the Big Slick Party & Show at T-Mobile Center go on sale at $75-$125 for standard lower level and $375 for upgraded seats with Founders Club access including open bar.

The Celebrity Softball game will precede the KC Royals vs. Colorado Rockies, so anyone with tickets to the Royals game will also have access to the softball game beforehand. General admission tickets only for the celebrity game will be available for $20-$40.

Select VIP tickets will also be available for purchase for the Celebrity Softball game, including $1,000 Hall of Fame Suite tickets and $1,500 for Dugout Suite tickets. VIP Pre-Party access plus upgraded seating tickets to the Big Slick Party and Show will be $2,000. 

Additionally, an intimate cocktail party with Big Slick celebrities will be hosted at a private residence on Thursday, June 1 with access at $5,000 per person.

To stoke your excitement for Big Slick Celebrity Weekend why don’t you catch up, or rewatch some of Gardner’s other projects including Netflix’s “Hustle” with Adam Sandler, the HBO Max exclusive “That Damn Michael Che,” or AppleTV’s newly released show “Shrinking.”

Also, if you can’t make it to Big Slick 2023 Celebrity Weekend, Worlds of Fun is hosting the Zambezi Zinger First Rider Expedition in April to benefit pediatric cancer research at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

Thirty-two winners will be randomly selected to be the first public riders on the Zambezi Zinger and have VIP access to the Grand Opening Celebration. Those interested can enter the drawing here.