Philadelphia Union to kickoff annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign today

September is childhood cancer awareness month and for the seventh straight year, the Philadelphia Union will raise awareness for pediatric cancer. It is all part of the annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign. Happening today the U is organizing a series of virtual events, with everything leading up to Saturday’s home game against New England Revolution.

Each player is being paired with a child from Kisses for Kyle, a foundation of services to families fighting childhood cancer here in the Delaware Valley. Twenty-five kids will be paired up with players, and will receive a specialized Union care package.

The partnership doesn’t just stop at a care package. The club also hosted a video call, giving the kids and players an opportunity to meet and get to know one another. During tonight’s game the boys in blue’s bench will be surrounded by cutouts of their buddies. The Revs will also be surrounded by the buddies they are working with throughout the year.

Before tonight’s match, the U will be wearing a special warm-up top. The back of each jersey will feature a line that says “I play for ____” with a blank space following for players to write in their KCC buddy’s name. When it comes to the starting lineup, it will be announced by the KCC kids and video messages from the kids to the players will be shown on the Subaru Park videoboard.