The Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City community will celebrate the 30th edition of Red Friday on Friday, Sept. 10.
The limited-availability, eighth-edition of the Chiefs Kingdom flag will again be sold for a minimum donation of $5 at more than 135 Kansas City- and St. Joseph-area McDonald's restaurants. Net proceeds will once again benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City. In addition to McDonald's, Red Friday flags will be available at Kansas City-area Hy-Vee locations and at street corners and other public locations throughout the metro area. A complete map of flag sale locations is available at www.chiefs.com/redfriday/.
Last year, in the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, $1 million was raised from the sale of special-edition Super Bowl LIV champion Red Friday flags. Over the past eight years, flag sales have raised more than $2.8 million to help RMHC-KC continue its mission of keeping families close in times of sickness and need. Fans who don't live in the Kansas City and St. Joseph areas can purchase a flag beginning on Friday, Sept. 10 on shop.chiefs.com for $10 with net proceeds from online sales also benefiting RMHC-KC.
"Red Friday continues to be one of the most unique events on the calendar and serves as a way for the team to join with members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world to positively impact our community," Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. "After last year's record-breaking sales effort, we're excited to kick off the 2021 season by returning to a more familiar Red Friday celebration as we raise money to support the work Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City does for local families."
For the fourth-consecutive year, Red Friday will also head south for a stop in Springfield, Missouri. In alignment with Red Friday in Kansas City, Chiefs Kingdom flags will be available at 55 McDonald's locations in Springfield and surrounding areas, as well as the Springfield Hy-Vee, for a minimum donation of $5 on Friday, Sept. 10. Net proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks. Last year, donations made at those locations totaled $65,000 for RMHC of the Ozarks.
For the second-consecutive year, Red Friday flags will be available at nine Topeka-area McDonald's locations, with proceeds benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas. In the inaugural year of selling flags in Topeka in 2020, $25,000 was raised for RMHC of Northeast Kansas.
During the lead-up to Red Friday, special events will take place over the course of the week. The week kicks off with a special player event with Ronald McDonald House Charities on Tuesday, Sept. 7. Chiefs jerseys, flags, artwork and red lighting will start appearing around Kansas City throughout the week as the city prepares to celebrate Red Friday.
Red Friday honors the long-standing tradition of selling team-themed commemorative items around the city to raise money for local charities that was started by Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt and the Chiefs Red Coaters. Since the inception of Red Friday, newspaper, magazine and flag sales have raised more than $3.3 million for local charities, with an emphasis on assisting youth in need.
Additional Red Friday information, including a map of sale locations in Kansas City, St. Joseph, Springfield and Topeka, as well as the opportunity to purchase flags online, is available at www.chiefs.com/redfriday.
