Members of the Chiefs Women's Organization were out at one of Kansas City's most recognizable landmarks Friday morning—the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain—in order to kick off Red Friday by giving out flags in exchange for a $5 donation to the Ronald McDonald House.
Tavia Hunt, the wife of Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, led the charge.
"For us, football is family and it's about family," Tavia said. "The Chiefs organization, Kansas City is family and the Ronald McDonald House is about supporting families with a sick child and children's charities are near and dear to our heart, so to be able to support, for the fourth year, an organization that is helping kids get well and healing families is a tremendous blessing and privilege."
Flags sold throughout the city raise a great deal of money for the Ronald McDonald House each year.
"This has as a huge impact for us," the CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, Tami Greenberg, said. "Obviously there's a financial benefit, which is extraordinary because it's expensive to take care of 87 families every night, but the benefit is also in terms of the community endorsement and being able to tell our story in the brand awareness and all that it does to help us bring our mission into the greater Kansas City community.
"The benefit for us is on multiple levels and quite frankly, we love when the Chiefs come and volunteer and really see our families in the house. It feels like a really full-fledged partnership."
In addition to the charitable donations that will happen throughout the day, Red Friday also signifies the beginning of football season in Kansas City.
"It's definitely one of the most exciting events that we get to participate in because it means football is finally back," Tavia added. "The offseason, training camp and preseason seem really long when you're waiting for football, so it's super exciting that it's here and that the entire city is geared up and electrified and ready for it."
To find out where you can purchase your own Red Friday flag, head to***http://www.chiefs.com/redfriday***.
