On August 22, Teach For America KC and genKC are teaming up to co-host a Back to School Drive-Thru Bash at Operation Breakthrough (3039 Troost Avenue) for families from across the Kansas City area. Sporting KC is among several community partners supporting the fourth annual event and has donated 400 Sporting KC binders to be distributed to students along with other free school supplies and resources.
Each student will receive a supplies pack (maximum of four per family registration) that includes a backpack, pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, markers, crayons, books, a voucher for a digital device, personal hygiene products and more. The drive-thru, which will also feature music and entertainment, will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and supplies will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Organizers are taking several safety measures including requiring all participants to wear masks and stay in their vehicles during the event.
To learn more and to register a student to receive free supplies, go to bit.ly/2020btsb. Pre-registration is required and families without access to transportation are encouraged to contact Teach for America KC's Director of External Affairs Nora Freyman at nora.freyman@teachforamerica.org.
In April, Sporting Kansas City launched Sporting Serves, a philanthropic platform established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the club helps provide aid across Greater Kansas City. Together with The Victory Project, City Foods & Events, and other community organizations, Sporting Serves organized several recent initiatives:
- Sporting Community Kitchen provided over 30,000 free meals at Children's Mercy Park
- Community Blood Center blood drives at Children's Mercy Park collected 183 units of blood, saving up to 549 lives
- The Victory Project donated surgical masks and non-latex gloves to Children's Mercy Hospital
- Sporting KC associates assisted in sorting and delivering PPE to emergency managers in rural communities in Kansas and Missouri to help protect first responders, health care professionals and long-term care facility personnel
- Children's Mercy Park hosted 20 high school graduations and offered free professional graduation photos for the Class of 2020
- Sporting KC donated soccer balls to students at Ott Elementary and children involved with Youth RISE KC
