On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs announced that for the first time in the 24-year history of the event, the tradition of Red Friday will become Red Thursday on Thursday, September 17, in conjunction with the team's 2015 home opener against the Denver Broncos on CBS's Thursday Night Football.
"This year, Red Thursday is going to capture all of the annual Red Friday excitement from around the city and match that with the energy and vigor that our fans and all of Chiefs Kingdom feel on gameday," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. "This tradition is a highlight for the organization every year, and we are looking forward to sharing an exciting day of Chiefs events with our fans, culminating in our primetime contest against the Broncos at Arrowhead."
To honor the long-standing tradition of selling special-edition newspapers started by Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt and the Chiefs Red Coaters more than two decades ago, Chiefs executives, former Chiefs players, Chiefs Cheerleaders, Red Coaters, local business leaders, dignitaries, media personalities and hundreds of volunteers will be selling "This is Chiefs Kingdom" flags at select street corners throughout the greater Kansas City area for the second year in a row.
A minimum donation of $5 is encouraged for fans wishing to obtain the official 2015 edition "This is Chiefs Kingdom" flag, which will be available at more than 170 locations, including all Kansas City and St. Joseph-area McDonald's restaurants. Through a partnership with McDonald's, the net proceeds from this year's flag sales will again benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City.
Since the inception of Red Friday, newspaper and magazine sales have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, with an emphasis on assisting youth in need. Last year alone, the sales of "This is Chiefs Kingdom" flags resulted in a donation of $135,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, the largest Red Friday donation in the history of the event.
In addition to purchasing a "This is Chiefs Kingdom" flag at participating locations, fans are also encouraged to show their Red Thursday spirit by wearing Chiefs gear all day in preparation for the team's 2015 home opener at 7:25 p.m. vs. the Denver Broncos. For fans who are unable to attend the game at Arrowhead, the AFC West showdown will be broadcast locally on KCTV (CBS) and nationally on both CBS and NFL Network. Additional information, including a map of all sale locations, will be available in the coming weeks on www.chiefs.com/redthursday.
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To celebrate the home opener, there are a number of game entertainment elements scheduled to showcase both the Chiefs and Kansas City on the national stage. Highlighting the overwhelming sense of Kansas City pride during the nationally telecast game, the Kansas City Symphony will lead Arrowhead Stadium in the National Anthem.
In addition, the Chiefs will recognize players from the club's two Super Bowl teams (I and IV) during a special halftime ceremony as part of the NFL's celebration of 50 years of the Super Bowl in 2015. The Chiefs represented the American Football League in two of the first four Super Bowl games, including Super Bowl I, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015-16.
Additional game entertainment details will be announced closer to the start of the season.
