A day of celebration will now be remembered as a day of tragedy. The Chiefs' Super Bowl parade ended in one life lost, dozens injured, and thousands grieving on what was supposed to be a celebratory Valentine's Day.
Kansas City rallied around the victims and families of the shooting, donating thousands to GoFundMes for the Reyes children and Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan, a local radio DJ killed after the parade.
Now, it's the Chiefs' turn to give back.
MORE: Latest news, updates after shooting at Chiefs Super Bowl parade
What is #KCStrong?
Two days after the shooting, the Chiefs partnered with United Way to launch #KCStrong, an emergency relief fund that supports victims and their families in the wake of the disaster.
Just like #ChiefsKingdom has always been there for me and my family, we want to be there for them.❤️
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 16, 2024
The @Chiefs have launched #KCStrong, an emergency response fund supporting victims and their families, violence prevention and mental health services, and first responders.… pic.twitter.com/sYMnPgCWL0
"There will be many forces that will work to divide us in the weeks ahead, but as the Chiefs showed us on the field all season long – the best path forward is not to turn against each other but instead to work together--united," wrote Chris Rosson, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Kansas City.
Donations will go to those affected by the shooting, as well as violence prevention, mental health support services, and first responders.
In the two hours following the announcement, #KCStrong raised over $344,000, with a $200,000 donation coming from the Chiefs, NFL, and Hunt Family Foundation.