Sporting Kansas City President and CEO Jake Reid was announced as a Green Ribbon Champion today by Midwest Transplant Network, joining a diverse coalition of local leaders committed to increasing the number of registered organ donors in communities across Kansas and Missouri.
“Organ donation has always been something that I’ve felt strongly about,” Reid said. “I’m passionate about helping others and I don’t think there’s a greater cause in terms of helping someone else. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give.”
Midwest Transplant Network recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Green Ribbon Campaign, which launched in April 2018 with community outreach, multimedia awareness and partner support. The green ribbon serves as an iconic symbol to represent the generous act of giving hope and sharing life by joining the Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.
“Last year, we facilitated more than 800 organ transplants, and we are eager to increase that impact in 2019,” said Jan Finn, president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network. “We are thrilled to partner with Jake Reid and Sporting Kansas City to spread the word that saying yes to organ donation gives everyone the chance to save lives and be hometown heroes.”
Reid, 36, joined Sporting Kansas City in 2010 and has served as president of the two-time Major League Soccer champions since 2016. In addition to local accolades from the Kansas City Business Journal and Ingram’s Magazine, Reid has been honored nationally by the Sports Business Journal and internationally by Leaders. He also serves on the board of several local non-profit organizations, including the Kansas City Sports Commission, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Kansas City, and The Victory Project.
Reid is now the newest member of an all-star lineup of Green Ribbon Champions who are lending their voices to the cause. Other Green Ribbon Champions include a local business leader, a TV news personality, a former KU star athlete, Miss Teen USA 2017, and even a college mascot – with many more to come. Reid, like all of them, hopes to use his platform to inspire others to join the Kansas and Missouri state donor registries.
Today, nearly 2,500 people in Kansas and Missouri are waiting for lifesaving or life-changing organ transplants. Visit mwtn.org to learn how to get involved in supporting organ donation, including the upcoming Donate Life Legacy Walk on May 11 at Berkley Riverfront Park in Kansas City, and visit ShareLifeMidwest.com to join the Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.
About Midwest Transplant Network
Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) has been connecting lives through organ donation since 1973. As the federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) for Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri, MTN services include organ procurement and surgical tissue and eye recovery, laboratory testing and 24-hour rapid response for referrals from hospital partners. Midwest Transplant Network ranks in the top 10% in the country among OPOs, which reflects the organization’s quality, professionalism and excellence in partnerships throughout the region. For more information, visit mwtn.org.
About Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is owned by Sporting Club, an entity founded by a group of local business and community leaders comprised of the Patterson Family, Cliff Illig, Pat Curran, Greg Maday and Robb Heineman. Sporting prides itself on a commitment and vision to provide high-performance experiences. Sporting Club purchased the team from the Hunt Sports Group in 2006, and under its direction has opened Swope Soccer Village, Children's Mercy Park, Wyandotte Sporting Fields and Pinnacle while investing in the Sporting KC Academy and Swope Park Rangers for developing local youth into homegrown talent. A charter member of Major League Soccer, Sporting are two-time MLS Cup champions (2000, 2013) and four-time winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017). Learn more at SportingKC.com.
