The Chiefs Community Caring Team, including Chiefs LBs, Cheerleaders and KC Wolf, assisted individuals of varying physical and intellectual abilities through a Play 60 clinic on Wednesday.
Kansas City Chiefs linebackers team up with local special needs children during the Play 60 Ability Camp.
"As an organization, we are blessed to have had an active relationship with this particular community for over 15 years," Chuck Castellano, Chiefs Community Relations Manager, noted. "In fact, some of the groups we've teamed with on various outreach programming includes the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired, Children's Therapeutic Learning Center, Kansas State School for the Blind, Kansas State School for the Deaf, the National Sports Center for the Disabled, Special Olympics and the YMCA's Challenger League."
For this event, the Chiefs partnered with the Recreation Council of Greater Kansas City (RCGKC), a non-profit organization created to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.
"This was an incredible event with the Chiefs," Kelly Snider, Event Coordinator with RCGKC, commented. "We had a great turnout, more than we expected, and they all had a lot of fun running around, throwing the football, and meeting the Chiefs players. It means a lot to have the Chiefs interacting with all of the kids and adults who have all kinds of disabilities."
The Chiefs Community Caring Team took the group through drills, taught them how to throw a football, encouraged them to do their best touchdown dance, signed autographs and took photos.
"We had a great opportunity to get out in the community and work with kids and adults with different types of disabilities," Derrick Johnson said. "It was a wonderful; there were so many smiles and high-fives. This was an event that I will cherish and remember forever. This is why we do what we do, we have the chance to give back and now they're also going to remember this forever."
Kids and adults alike enjoyed their time with the Chiefs and were ecstatic to learn, interact and spend time with them.
"You could see the excitement on everyone's faces, even ours," Nico Johnson said. "We really enjoyed our time with this group; we want to give our time to them and show our appreciation for them and make them feel normal, they're disabilities can't define them. It's been a lot of fun, it's heart warming to be out here."
