Sporting KC players and staff volunteer at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City

As part of the club's ongoing commitment to giving back in the local community, Sporting Kansas City players and staff recently volunteered at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City to serve meals to families with children currently receiving treatment at Children's Mercy.

Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa, forward Ozzie Cisneros, midfielder Cam Duke, midfielder Danny Flores and defender Chris Rindov all helped serve dinner for families at the Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Children's Mercy last Wednesday. The room provides a special place where ICU families can relax while staying close to their child.

The next day, nine Sporting Kansas City full-time associates helped serve lunch for families at the Wylie House. The house opened in 2015 with 20 bedrooms to provide a welcoming setting for families in an effort to help alleviate the worry and expense of finding a comfortable and affordable place to stay while their child receives medical care.

The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City is to reduce the burden of childhood illness by keeping families close to their sick children when they are receiving medical care at Kansas City-area hospitals. By offering a safe place to stay, warm meals and other supportive services, RMHC-KC assists up to 91 families every night. Since 1981, Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms have provided comfort and care to more than 108,000 families. 

Earlier this year, Sporting Kansas City and The Victory Project renovated spaces for families and children inside the Sporting-themed Gaming Room, Family Room and Kids Room on the lower level of the Bernstein House. The improvements included new gaming stations, play structures and upgraded toys as well as new furniture, flooring, lighting and paint. 

Sporting Kansas City established The Victory Project in 2013 to help children battling cancer by uniting players, staff, fans and partners across the region. This month, Sporting KC celebrates The Victory Project’s 10 years of community impact during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with numerous events and initiatives, including the club's annual Kick Childhood Cancer match this Saturday and a community blood drive next week at Children's Mercy Park.

For more information, follow @VictoryKC on Twitter and @victoryprojectkc on Facebook and Instagram.