Chiefs fans help raise more than $900K for Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City
Not all is lost this week after the Kansas City Chiefs’ defeat in Baltimore on Sunday night. The team reported in an official release on Tuesday that they managed to raise close to one million dollars for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City via promotional sales of the 2021 team flag on September 10th during Red Friday.
The annual event, which marked its 30th year ahead of the Chiefs’ home opener against Cleveland, has raised more than $3.7 million in the past nine years in an effort to help RMHC-KC “continue its mission of keeping families close in times of sickness and need” according to the release.
Flags were sold at McDonald’s and Hy-Vee locations in Kansas City and surrounding areas, as well as online for fans who couldn’t make it to a physical location. Sales this year were the second-highest on record since the team started selling flags in 2014 per the release. RMHC-KC CEO Tami Greenberg issued a statement through the team, thanking the Chiefs and those who participated for their generosity, emphasizing that the money would be put to good use.
“The power of Chiefs Kingdom is so inspiring – it helps us see that when we unite as a city, we can make a big difference to families with seriously ill children, $5 at a time,” Greenberg said. “A huge thank you to the Hunt family, the Chiefs organization and each person who bought a flag this year for making an extraordinary impact on the lives of sick kids and their families in KC and beyond.”
Chiefs’ President Mark Donovan also commented on the event, saying the team’s relationship with the charity is second to none, and that the organization is committed to furthering RMHC-KC’s work in the region.
“Red Friday continues to demonstrate the kindness and giving spirit of Chiefs Kingdom locally and across the globe,” Donovan said in the release, “We have a strong relationship with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and understand how their work keeps families safe and comfortable in what can be tremendously difficult times. We are so proud and grateful to join with McDonald’s, our community partners and Chiefs fans everywhere to make this donation to help further the work that RMHC-KC is doing for families in our community and throughout the region.”
The team also facilitated sales of flags in Springfield, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas respectively. They were able to raise $87,000 in Springfield and $45,000 in Topeka in addition to the money raised in Kansas City.
Red Friday is a tradition that was started by Chiefs’ Founder Lamar Hunt and the team’s Red Coaters in 1991 to aid youth in need, specifically in Kansas City. They’ve sold “team-themed commemorative items” such as newspapers, magazines, and flags, raising more than $4.2 million since the event’s inception.
Good work, Chiefs Kingdom! Let’s be sure to keep it up in the coming years.
List
Chiefs release updated depth chart for Week 3
