Philadelphia Union Unveil Kick Childhood Cancer Initiative

CHESTER, Pa. (Sept. 11, 2019) – The Philadelphia Union today announced their yearly tradition of teaming up childhood cancer patients and athletes to design custom cleats and apparel to be worn during warm-ups for the annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Night, during Saturday’s game against LAFC at Talen Energy Stadium. The 2019 program will celebrate that tradition, and this year’s program will be even bigger as Union athletes and select athletes from other Philly teams will unite around the cause.

"As a club, we wanted to honor these kids by connecting them with professional athletes through art and design. DezCustoms did a phenomenal job making their art come to life and bringing awareness to the fight against childhood cancer,” said Doug Vosik, Philadelphia Union Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications. “It’s amazing how this project has unified the professional teams in Philadelphia.  What started as a project for the Union and these kids has turned into one supported by all of the pro teams in Philadelphia.”

This year, the club has partnered with Kisses For Kyle and Adidas to work with 43 childhood cancer patients in the Greater Philadelphia area to design cleats and hockey sticks for the participating athletes that will be worn during practice and games during the month of September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This initiative is called Fearless 43, in reference to the statistic that everyday 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. The young artists will be the guests of honor at the club's Pediatric Cancer Awareness match on Sept. 14. The club will also be participating in a pregame parade around the field that night in partnership with Mascots for a Cure & A Moment of Magic.

Athletes involved in the program: Alejandro Bedoya, Philadelphia Union; Jack Elliott, Philadelphia Union; Marco Fabian, Philadelphia Union; Auston Trusty, Philadelphia Union; Jake Arrieta, Philadelphia Phillies; Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies; Rasul Butler, Philadelphia Eagles; Jakub Voráček, Philadelphia Flyers; Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers

For more information, please click here.