For eight shifts over the past several weeks, I had the extraordinary privilege of serving as a Host City Ambassador at the Kansas City FIFA Fan Festival, held on the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Monument. What had been a quiet lawn and circle drive was transformed into something almost unimaginable: enormous screens broadcasting matches, concerts, sponsor activations, food, photo ops, and an electric crowd that seemed to represent every corner of the globe.
My job? Welcome guests. Scan tickets. Take photos. Simple enough on paper. In practice, it was among the most joyful, meaningful work I have ever done. And, when I wasn’t volunteering, Marc and I were soaking it all in as guests ourselves, including seats at the Argentina vs. Switzerland quarterfinal. To experience the event from both sides of the credential made it that much richer.
Kansas City was the smallest of the 13 U.S. host cities. But don’t let that fool you. Two of the four World Cup finalists, Argentina and England, made KC their home base (as did the Netherlands and its “Orange Army” and Algeria, who set up camp in nearby Lawrence, Kansas. Rock Chalk!). The whole world was watching, and we showed up beautifully. That is in no small part due to an extraordinary team of leaders from the Kansas City Sports Commission and KC2026 Board and Staff (extra special thanks, Kathy Nelson, Mike Goff, Tracy Whelpley, Lori Thomas, Mark Jorgenson, and Esther George) who poured themselves into making this city shine.
What I will treasure most, though, are the people. Long-time friends who showed up in the volunteer ranks alongside me (BIG shout out to Frank Lipsman, Janet Mark, Tom Cohen, Jimmy Rosenblum, JonAnn Cavanaugh, Peter Beren, Andre Smith, Bruce Kershenbaum, Kate O’Neill Rauber, and Bill Hartnett). And new friends who I simply did not know before this summer (“Hello!” Mike Paget, Bob Daum III, Valery Johnson, Alan Schrader, and so many others). We stood shoulder to shoulder in the Kansas City heat, waved in visitors from Portugal, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Morocco, Norway, China, Japan, and other far-flung locations, and felt, together, like the luckiest people on earth.
I applied for this volunteer role last August. Nearly a full year passed between that application and my final shift. In between: interviews, training, preparation, anticipation, and then the glorious, breathless reality of the thing itself.
Three things I hope you take from this:
- Say “YES” early. The best volunteer opportunities fill fast. Apply before you feel ready.
- Show up for your city. There is no better way to love where you live than to represent it to the world.
- The people are the point. The matches were thrilling. The coveted Bank of America “Fan Bands,” KIA player cards, and Coca-Cola cool towels were, indeed, cool. But the connections, old and new, are what I will carry forward.
The world came to Kansas City. And Kansas City was ready. Vamos!
Happy Networking!
We took the boys out to Fan Fest on the day of the Oranje parade and game. We hopped off the streetcar just as the storm was coming in and Fan Fest was closed down, which should have been catastrophically disappointing. That feeling could only last about thirty seconds though, because the kids ended up having a blast high-fiving Dutch fans walking along Main Street, ducking under canopies to get out of the rain with Algeria fans, and stopping at a street vendor for hot dogs and snow cones with Mexico fans once the rain let up.
Our plans objectively didn’t work out, but we quickly realized the vibes couldn’t get quashed by a little rain. My oldest was so enamored with the Oranje Army that we got him a Netherlands jersey for his birthday and I think he’ll be a fan for life. The energy and excitement in our city couldn’t be replicated, only facilitated, and it was facilitated beautifully by you and others who helped bring the World Cup to KC. What a huge moment in this city’s history! Thank you for being part of such a monumental effort!
You’re such a good writer, Alana. Thank you for putting into words what those of us who volunteered experienced. The respect, valuing, dignity, and kindness between so many people and cultures underscores what a wonder life is. I’m so happy to have met you on the first day when we both were riding the region direct bus. You’re my friend, and I’m fortunate for that!