Chiefs head coach selects local golfer’s design for Special Olympics charity
COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
In July, Special Olympics Missouri set out to find the perfect depiction of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, as it latest fundraising effort.
Reid has been a long-time supporter of Special Olympics Missouri, even announcing a partnership with the organization a couple of years ago.
Each year Reid and the organization come up with a way to not only raise money, but awareness. In the year of COVID-19, Chief Development and Marketing Officer Brian Neuner said their efforts needed to get a little more creative.
As a result, Neuner decided the latest effort would come in the form of t-shirt, hoodie, and hat sales, featuring Big Red.
The organization asked three artists to submit their image of Reid, to be reviewed by Special Olympics Missouri and Reid, himself.
One artist stood out to Reid: Jack Parker, a Columbia-native and Mizzou golfer.
“People kind of recognize him for his mustache and everything, so I tried to incorporate those distinct details as much as I could," Parker said.
Reid and Special Olympics Missouri moved forward with the design, shifting small things like hat placement and facial expressions. In the end, one thing never changed.
"It's the mustache, he [Reid] says, that's the best mustache anyone's ever drawn of me," Neuner said.
Special Olympics Missouri partnered with Bass Pro Shops to sell the merchandise and by the time football season started sales took off. In fact, sales even surpassed what Neuner expected.
