Nestled among 80,000 of their closest friends Sunday at Kansas City?s Arrowhead Stadium stood a small contingent of Farm-City Days Committee volunteers.
The FCD members were there for their final concession booth project of the 2019-20 season of the Kansas City Chiefs.
As a token of its appreciation for the committee?s work this season, Aramark ? the company that oversees non-profit group fundraisers by manning the stadium?s concession areas ? allowed the local contingent to close up shop early so they could watch fourth-quarter play.
The 10 FCD members soaked in the electric atmosphere surrounding the waning moments of the AFC Championship, where the Kansas City Chiefs were in the midst of defeating the Tennessee Titans to secure a berth in the upcoming Super Bowl. It?s Kansas City?s first appearance in the Super Bowl since 1970.
?It was awesome,? committee member Aaron Franklin said. ?The fans were fun to watch, with grown men crying, people screaming in disbelief. Being at the games is a unique experience.?
Even better for Franklin was the camaraderie of the local contingent which included three of his four siblings, his sister-in-law, a nephew ?and several volunteers who have become like family over the past two years.?
Franklin estimates the committee earned about $10,000, roughly $100 per volunteer for each of the 12 games they worked this season.
This was the second straight season Farm-City Days workers have done such work at Arrowhead.
In order to ensure enough volunteers are on hand each week ? at least 10 are needed each time out to qualify for the Aramark project ? Franklin has opened up the venture to other groups.
?They just complete orientation under the FCD umbrella and submit invoices to us for reimbursement for the actual roles and amount they earn,? Franklin explained.
Franklin plans to open up the fundraising potential to other groups again next season as well.
Farm-City Days volunteer Michelle Altis shot this picture Sunday during the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans. COURTESY PHOTO
THE PROJECT is lucrative, but the volunteers must put in a herculean effort to earn their keep.
