The Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) and the KC Blind All-Stars Foundation (KCBAS) announced on Thursday a donation from The Victory Project to install a new blind soccer field at the school.
“A soccer field for our students is another step toward inclusivity in sports,” said KSSB Superintendent Jon Harding. “We are honored that The Victory Project chose to partner with us to provide our students and our community with a great, much-needed gift.”
“The mission of the school and the goals of The Victory Project and Sporting KC are greatly aligned,” said The Victory Project Executive Director Lexie Clark. “We believe everyone should have the opportunity to participate in sports and have access to the highest quality fields possible.”
The Victory Project recently gifted KCBAS more than $32,000 to start work on the new field. Installation is set to begin this Fall.
KCBAS seeks to imagine, execute, fund and support the needs and dreams of blind and visually impaired youth who benefit from the KSSB and the educators who believe in them. KCBAS believes in the unlimited potential of all youth in Kansas who are Blind or Visually Impaired and is dedicated to expanding society’s perception of them as valuable, contributing members of their schools and communities. Founded in 1973, KCBAS provides financial support to programs and activities in the following “TEAMS” endeavors: (T)echnology; (E)ducation, Employment, Entrepreneurship; (A)thletics and Extracurricular Activities; (M)usic and Arts; (S)kill Building.
The Victory Project strives to make the sport of soccer more accessible for children across the region through the foundation’s Soccer for All Kids initiatives and through partnerships with numerous local organizations, including Variety KC, Special Olympics, The Whole Person and Midwest Adaptive Sports. In addition to the foundation’s donation to KSSB for a grass soccer field for the blind, Sporting Kansas City and The Victory Project also unveiled an inclusive field for soccer teams competing in power wheelchairs earlier this year at Central Bank Sporting Complex in Kansas City, Missouri.
About Kansas State School for the Blind
Founded in 1866, KSSB is a leader in the development of exemplary programs and practices in vision services throughout Kansas. For more than 150 years, the school has worked to build local capacity via strategic partnerships to ensure learners who are blind or visually impaired are able to lead fulfilling and inclusive lives. KSSB strives to provide the right help, at the right time, in the right location for students with visual impairments.
About The Victory Project
The Victory Project is a philanthropic foundation established by Sporting Kansas City in 2013 to help children through all of life's challenges by uniting players, staff, fans and community partners across the region. Through numerous events and initiatives, The Victory Project is dedicated to enhancing and enriching the lives of children battling cancer, providing special experiences and opportunities to kids with disabilities and creating a more welcoming soccer environment for local youth. To learn more and to make a donation, visit VictoryKC.org.
