Sporting Kansas City players and associates partnered with local organizations through a variety of volunteer opportunities during the fourth annual MLS WORKS Greener Goals Week of Service from April 16-22.
The club’s week of service was highlighted by a visit to Children’s Mercy Hospital, cleanup at the Kansas City Pet Project animal shelter, and outdoor work at the Heartland Tree Alliance, Shawnee Mission Park and the Ronald McDonald House.
Sporting Kansas City veterans Kelyn Rowe, Seth Sinovic and Graham Zusi kicked off the week on April 16 with a trip to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where they made Earth Day crafts with kids in one of the facility’s playrooms. The following day, Sporting KC staff met kids for more arts activities in the hospital’s Community Room. A First Team partner of Sporting KC since 2015, Children’s Mercy is one of the nation’s top pediatric medical centers that provides care for children from birth through the age of 21.
On April 17, Zusi was joined by teammates Eric Dick, Gerso Fernandes, Daniel Salloi and several Sporting KC associates at the Kansas City Pet Project. The group helped clean the facility and feed the many animals at the shelter. The KC Pet Project is a nonprofit, charitable organization that cares for over 10,000 animals per year and works collaboratively with Animal Control and other animal welfare organizations to increase the number of homeless pets adopted. It also focuses on lifesaving programs promoting pet retention, identification and pet ownership education.
Sporting associates provided service outdoors for the remainder of the week, beginning when volunteers helped plant 28 trees at the Heartland Tree Alliance on April 18 and tended to a garden at the Ronald McDonald House on April 22. The Heartland Tree Alliance engages local citizens to take action and advocate for healthy community forests, planting urban trees and organizing numerous planting events.
Closely tied to Children’s Mercy, Ronald McDonald Charities keeps families close to their sick children while they get the care and supportive services they need. In 2017 alone, Kansas City’s Ronald McDonald Houses provided comfort and care to 7,325 families and opened doors to support over 60,000 visits from family and friends of patients at Children’s Mercy.
The club’s annual All-Staff Community Day of Service on April 19 saw dozens of Sporting associates partner with Kansas City WildLands and Bridging The Gap, cleaning evasive honeysuckle and clearing trails at Shawnee Mission Park. Bridging The Gap (BTG) works to make the Kansas City region sustainable by “connecting environment, economy and community.” It is the premier organization in the area providing environmental education and volunteer action through more than 1,500 volunteers annually.
Altogether, Sporting players and associates spent more than 360 hours volunteering throughout the MLS WORKS Greener Goals Week of Service.
