MLS and Continental Tire are again teaming up to support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with the ninth annual “MLS Works Kick Childhood Cancer” campaign to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer.
This year, the Kick Childhood Cancer (KCC) campaign will again benefit Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research.
“We’re proud to partner with Continental Tire in the fight against pediatric cancer,” said JoAnn Neale, Major League Soccer’s President & Chief Administrative Officer, in a statement. “We hope our efforts to raise awareness and funds will support important research and provide families with access to life saving treatment.”
KCC's Impact
The Kick Childhood Cancer campaign has enabled Children’s Oncology Group, which utilizes more than 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children’s hospitals around the world, to strengthen research efforts across the entire spectrum of pediatric cancers, including Project: Every Child — a unique project aiming to capture the biology and outcome data of every child diagnosed with cancer.
The cost of a single enrollment into a clinical trial such as Project: Every Child can approach $10,000 per patient. According to COG, the Kick Childhood Cancer campaign has helped to offset the costs of more than 40,000 clinical trial enrollments to date, which an expected 44,000 to be enrolled by the end of the year.
Club, Player, and League Support
Throughout September, MLS, its member clubs and players, will drive awareness of the campaign through in-stadium activations, league social and digital channels, and on national and regional broadcasts. Highlighted by the internationally recognized gold color for childhood cancer, MLS Kick Childhood Cancer matches will feature:
- A commemorative edition adidas 2022 MLS WORKS Kick Childhood Cancer Official Match Ball.
- 2022 MLS Kick Childhood Cancer adidas Pre-Match Tops will be worn by players during pregame and warmups on game day as well as on the bench, side lines and during training and in community outreach efforts
- Gold corner flags
- Gold goal nets
- Gold captain’s armbands
- Gold ribbon jersey patches
- PRO referees will sport wristbands featuring a Kick Childhood Cancer ribbon.
MLS and Continental Tires will partner with MLS clubs to “surprise and delight” pediatric cancer patients and health care providers with unique experiences and acts of kindness throughout September.
MLS clubs have created custom pajama bottoms to be distributed to local pediatric cancer patients as a token of comfort as they continue to fight cancer.
How you can support KCC
Fans will have an opportunity to donate on behalf of their favorite MLS club to a local KCC charity as part of the Continental KCC Challenge. Fans can visit www.TheContinentalKCCChallenge.com to donate and Continental Tire will match each donation up to $50,000.
A holiday auction of game-used, autographed jerseys from September matches will provide additional fundraising opportunities from Oct. 31 to Nov. 14 and fans can purchase 2022 MLS Kick Childhood Cancer Adidas Pre-Match Tops and New Era KCC caps on MLSstore.com. MLS will donate all royalties received from the KCC adidas Pre-Match Tops sold into official retail partners to COG through December 31, 2022. Fans may also donate directly to COG at networkforgood.com
