Activism and athleticism: How Kansas City’s sports teams give back to the community

  Kansas City is home to four professional sports teams; women’s and men’s soccer, baseball and football. These teams and their players contribute quite a bit of time to philanthropy and advancing the greater KC area.

  KC Current, the women’s soccer team, is the newest team to hit the Kansas City area. In their short five years, they maintained a dedication to their community.

  For every purchase made at the CPKC stadium, fans have the option of rounding up to the nearest dollar, five dollars, or 10 dollars. The contributions are donated to United Way, which then distributes it to multiple local non-profit organizations. Since 2020, these donations have amounted to over $800 thousand. 

  Another key piece to the Current’s philanthropy is supporting young female athletes and inspiring them. This is done under different umbrellas, from building the first stadium dedicated to women’s professional sports to their “Sideline the Stigma” campaign. Sideline the Stigma focuses on supporting mental health in high school athletes.

  Earlier this year, the Current brought about 100 female athletes together to participate in workshops, listen to speakers, and practice mindfulness. Events and campaigns like these help KC Current fans feel supported.

  Sporting KC, the men’s soccer team, has similar charitable goals. The Victory Project, a foundation aimed at helping children with cancer through financial assistance, and in some cases, granting a wish, is a large part of Sporting’s culture. The kids from the Victory Project sit in a special seat on gameday, and receive a warm welcome from the community at the beginning of the game.

 Under the Victory Project name, Sporting KC adds a pillar titled “Soccer for All.” Soccer for all is dedicated to ensuring that youth with disabilities and limited resources. In 2023, the Victory Project donated $32 thousand to the Kansas State School for the Blind, in order to build the first blind soccer field in the midwest (and one of only four in the nation).

  For baseball, the Kansas City Royals have a standard of helping those in need, and making baseball accessible. The Royals sponsor the Urban Youth Academy, a baseball field in the inner-city that allows kids from those areas to learn the sport. This is also where local school teams play, and where community events are held. 

  The Royals also have the KC Royals Foundation, which stresses literacy, education, and creating healthy communities. These programs give kids not just homegrown pride, but something to look forward to in their very own neighborhoods.

  Kansas City’s professional football team, the Chiefs, commit to their philanthropy year after year, and athletes even take it one step further. 

  Some Chiefs players support pre-existing non-profit organizations, and some take it one step further, creating their own foundations. Two examples of this are Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

  Mahomes created 15 and the Mahomies, aimed at encouraging kids to read and volunteer in their communities. The foundation also offers a scholarship for high school seniors who showcase academic leadership and community involvement. 

  Kelce created 87 and Running, which focuses on improving facilities for children and teaching underserved youth critical life skills. In 2021, Kelce worked with Operation Breakthrough to create the Ignition Lab, aimed at children ages 14 to 18, to get involved in STEM and work on various projects.

  Across all major sports leagues, these foundations help fans feel supported and learn to care for one another, essentially building community. In Kansas City, it’s important that these teams support locals the way that locals support them. 

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