The Chiefs, the Kansas City community and members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world raised $1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHC-KC) through flag sales during Red Wednesday – the 33rd edition of Red Friday – on Wednesday, September 4. Over the past decade, Red Friday sales have raised more than $6.5 million to help RMHC-KC continue its mission of keeping families close in times of sickness and need.
Members of the Chiefs Community Caring Team, including S Bryan Cook, CB Trent McDuffie and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Lara Krug, visited Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City today to make the formal announcement of the total amount raised and visit with youth and families at the House.
Through a partnership with McDonald's, the 11th edition of the Red Friday flag – featuring a back-to-back Super Bowl champions design – was sold in all Kansas City- and St. Joseph-area McDonald's locations and Kansas City Hy-Vee stores for a minimum donation of $5. For the eighth year in a row, flags were also sold online for $10 and available for domestic and international shipping.
"Chiefs Kingdom showed up again for seriously ill children and their families at Ronald McDonald House - $ 1 million back-to-back - just like our beloved team!" CEO of RMHC of Kansas City Tami Greenberg said. "It's incredible to see how the support from the Chiefs organization and our founding mission partner, McDonald's, come together to help families with sick kids. We are so thankful to the Kansas City community for making a huge impact, one flag at a time!"
With this year's donation, more than $6.5 million has been directed to assisting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City as they reduce the burden of childhood illness on children and their families by providing a "home away from home" while the children are receiving medical care in Kansas City-area hospitals. For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, please visit www.rmhckc.org/.
"It's always rewarding to see how the Kansas City community and all of Chiefs Kingdom rally around RMHC-KC and the families they serve at the start of the football season," Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. "As one of the events that continues the legacy of founder Lamar Hunt, Red Wednesday (Red Friday) has a truly special impact in our community, and getting to kick off the year with a back-to-back world champions flag made it even sweeter this year."
Red Wednesday (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 in 1992. Since the inception of Red Friday, newspaper, magazine and flag sales have raised approximately $7 million for local charities with an emphasis on assisting youth in need.
In addition, the club delivered friendship bracelet materials from the World's Largest Tailgate: Tailgate Games, which took place ahead of the home opener, for children and families to make friendship bracelets together while they are in the care of RMHC-KC.
