The Chiefs play their first game of the 2022 season on Sun., Sept. 11, which means Fri., Sept. 9 is Red Friday. You can participate in the fan frenzy by picking up a special Chiefs flag starting at $5. However, that money does more than just provide you with some limited edition memorabilia.
The charity
Red Friday was started by Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt and the Red Coaters volunteer group. It’s the tradition’s ninth year benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City after corporate McDonald’s sponsors connected the Chiefs + the charity in 2014. All net proceeds benefit RMHC-KC, keeping the lights on and the water hot for sick kids and their families.
“It all stays here in Kansas City, and it costs us about $100 per night per family,” CEO Tami Greenberg told us. “We are also not turning families away [...] When we don’t have room, we can serve families in hotels.”
Tami said the fundraiser wouldn’t be as successful as it is without the support of the Chiefs + the community.
“As far as we know, Kansas City has broken the mould for this kind of programming,” she said. “I also don’t think there are many communities around the country who are as philanthropic and giving as Kansas City. We got a bunch of good folks here.”
Get a Chiefs flag
Flag sales begin on Friday at 6 a.m. Locations include all metro McDonald’s + Hy-Vees (find the closest one with this map). We recommend arriving as soon as possible — some locations sell out within two hours.
If you have to miss the Friday fun, you can still grab a flag. Online sales go live the same day for $10.
Pro tip: If you’re feeling charitable, you can always donate more than the minimum amount.