NEW YORK (Aug. 27, 2024) – This September, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Continental Tire are teaming up during Childhood Cancer Awareness month for the 11th annual “Kick Childhood Cancer” (KCC) campaign to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research and treatment.
Throughout the month, Continental Tire has committed to donating $50,000 to fund pediatric cancer research. Fans are encouraged to support the campaign by sharing a message of hope for children and families in the fight against cancer using #KickChildhoodCancer. To learn more, fans are encouraged to visit MLSsoccer.com.
“Major League Soccer is once again proud to collaborate with our partners at Continental Tire to raise awareness and resources with our Kick Childhood Cancer initiative,” said Sola Winley, MLS Executive Vice President, Chief Engagement and Inclusion Officer. "Serving as a dedicated leader in the fight against pediatric cancer has long been a priority for MLS, and with Continental Tire we will continue to work relentlessly to support children and their families.”
The Kick Childhood Cancer campaign will benefit Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research, uniting more than 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children’s hospitals around the world. The Kick Childhood Cancer campaign has enabled COG to strengthen research efforts across the entire spectrum of pediatric cancers, including Project: EveryChild – 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: EveryChild can approach $10,000 per patient. According to COG, the League’s Kick Childhood Cancer campaign has helped to offset the costs of more than 55,000 clinical trial enrollments to-date, with nearly 60,000 expected to be enrolled by the end of 2024.
MLS clubs and players will conduct activations throughout the month and promote messaging in-stadium, on social and digital channels, and on national broadcasts. Highlighted by the internationally recognized gold color for childhood cancer, MLS Kick Childhood Cancer matches will feature:
- A commemorative adidas 2024 MLS Kick Childhood Cancer Official Match Ball
- 2024 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, during trainings and in community outreach efforts
- Gold corner flags, goal nets, and captain’s armbands
- Gold ribbon jersey patches
Starting today, fans can purchase the 2024 MLS Kick Childhood Cancer adidas Pre-Match Top on MLSstore.com. All royalties received from the sales of the commemorative tops (through December 31, 2024) will be donated to COG. Fans may also donate directly to COG HERE.
An online auction consisting of game-used, autographed jerseys from KCC matches taking place in September will be conducted from Nov. 22 – Dec. 6, providing another opportunity for fans to support the campaign ahead of the holiday season.
“We are proud to once again partner with Major League Soccer on the Kick Childhood Cancer campaign as 2024 marks Continental Tire’s fifth straight year collaborating on this impactful program,” said Brian Beierwaltes, Sr. Manager Marketing, Continental Tire. “Throughout the years of our partnership, through Kick Childhood Cancer we have continued to raise awareness and contribute important funds to help strengthen the Children’s Oncology Group’s research efforts. We are incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve together, and our hope is that we can continue to make an even bigger impact for the children and their families in the United States and Canada who are affected by childhood cancer.”
Fans can follow the KCC activations of their favorite MLS club on MLSsoccer.com, @MLS social handles, as well as club social platforms.
For more information on Kick Childhood Cancer, COG or other MLS community outreach initiatives, visit MLSsoccer.com.
