It's been more than six months without a football Sunday, and as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy, it's once again time to celebrate a tradition 30 years in the making with another edition of Red Friday.
The annual event – which takes place all week leading up to the Chiefs' matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday – is already underway, as fountains, buildings and street corners throughout the Kansas City area began turning red earlier this week.
It's a celebration that truly encapsulates the passion that Kansas City has for its football team, and from the festivities all over town to another commemorative flag, it has all the makings of being the best one yet.
That includes massive Chiefs' flags at locations such as the Kansas City Power & Light District, the City Market and on the Country Club Plaza. Statues around town will don jerseys representing various players, and the Liberty Memorial lawn will be one of several to sport a painted Chiefs' logo by Thursday. There's also the second-annual virtual "Red Friday Run," which starts on Friday and goes through the weekend.
That celebration continued at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium earlier this week, too, when three members of the Chiefs' offensive line – Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney and Andrew Wylie – teamed up with three youth alumni from the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City to create unique and healthy twists on tailgate fare.
It all culminates on Friday, when a limited number of flags go on sale at Kansas City area McDonald's locations for a $5 donation beginning at 5 a.m. The flags – which will also be available at shop.chiefs.com for a $10 donation – make a great collectors' item while supporting a worthy cause, as this will mark the eighth-consecutive year that net proceeds from commemorative flag sales will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City.
In fact, Red Friday has raised more than $2.8 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City in the last eight years alone – including a record $1 million last year – channeling the passion of Chiefs Kingdom to help families facing unimaginable circumstances all while encouraging fans to show off their passion for the red and gold.
"The $3.3 million the Chiefs Kingdom has raised in the last nine years has helped so many families stay close to their sick children, as well as build a new Ronald McDonald House and improve our facilities," said Tami Greenberg, CEO of RMHC-KC. "Red Friday is a great time for Kansas City to come together to make a big impact, just $5 at a time."
Flags are expected to sell quickly, so for more information – including a map of participating McDonald's locations – visit Chiefs.com/RedFriday. Additionally, fans who sign up for the virtual Red Friday Run will receive a flag. To sign up, visit Chiefs.com/RedFriday/Run.
