Knighton Business Solutions teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters to host a clinic with Sporting Kansas City players Korede Aiyegbusi, Lawrence Olum and Soony Saad at Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park on Wednesday. Over 35 big-little matches attended the event and were guided through three different stations by the Sporting Kansas City players and coaching staff. At the conclusion of the session, each little received a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship poster signed by Aiyegbusi, Olum and Saad as well as a snack provided by Knighton. In addition, each match received a pair of tickets to the Sporting Kansas City game against the Chicago Fire on September 28 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
All littles were then entered into a raffle and the winner, Amelia, was gifted a Sporting Kansas City jersey signed by the entire team. We had the opportunity to talk to one of the littles in attendance, and when we asked nine-year-old DaKarie from Eastwood Hills Elementary about the experience, the corners of his mouth turned up as he maturely responded, "I have a nice time out with the players and other kids." DaKarie and the rest of the littles surprised the Sporting Kansas City players with thank you cards with help from their bigs.
Upon receiving the cards, Aiyegbusi said, "It's a good feeling to go out and make someones day, but it's even better when you know the feeling is mutual. The kids were giving us hugs and wanted to take pictures with us, and when they gave us those cards, it just kind of makes your day and reminds you why you're doing what you're doing."
To see for yourself how DaKarie and the rest of the elementary schoolers interacted with the players, check out the slide show below:
