Sporting KC fans can get vaccinated at upcoming matches ... and receive a free scarf
With the Kansas City area vaccination rate making slow progress and the delta variant quickly spreading throughout Missouri and Kansas, Sporting KC is providing an incentive to its fans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccination drives will take place at Children’s Mercy Park during two home matches this month: Wednesday vs. San Jose and again on July 31. The initiative is being carried out in partnership with the KCK’s Unified Government Public Health Department.
Sporting KC also had vaccines available at games on June 12 and June 23, and Sporting KC director of fan development Blake McFarland considered those efforts successful.
“We have 20,000 people that come out to our matches,” McFarland said. “To have the opportunity to make vaccines accessible to those people that want to get vaccinated, or maybe haven’t had the time, or didn’t know where to go or whatnot, using our stadium as a point for people to be able to do that I think is really impactful to our community.”
Some parts of the Kansas City area have vaccination rate of less than 40%. Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, ten Kansas City-area hospitals on Friday issued a joint public health advisory saying the unvaccinated should wear masks again.
Fans who choose to get vaccinated at this month’s two vaccine-drive games will receive a free Sporting KC scarf.
“Like any sports team, we care about our community,” McFarland said. “We want everyone to be safe and healthy and to get us to a spot where we can get back to doing anything we want to do. If we just need to have a vaccine clinic at the entrance of our stadiums to give people the option and make it more accessible to people, then it’s a no-brainer for us to do something like that.”
The vaccines will be administered at the stadium’s Mazuma Plaza gates. Fans can get vaccinated as soon as gates open through the end of halftime. Free COVID-19 testing will also be available at both games, which are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
The Unified Government’s public information officer, Janell Friesen, said the two games provide an opportunity for crucial vaccines to reach more people.
“We are concerned about seeing an increase in COVID cases in Wyandotte County, and with the fact that we know delta variant is here and it’s spread so much more easily,” Friesen said. “Between that and the fact that we had seen vaccine interest drop over time, it’s important that we get creative to provide vaccines and information about vaccines in different ways. Because not everybody can or wants to access all of this in the same way.”
Friesen said the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available for fans ages 12 and up, and those 18 and older can choose which vaccine they want.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Sporting KC fans can get vaccinated at upcoming matches ... and receive a free scarf."