Mayor Pro Tem Park Shaw, Airbnb and partners secure 75 World Cup tickets for Kansas City youth

Mayor Pro Tem Park Shaw announced at Swope Soccer Village that Airbnb has invested $100,000 in the Open Doors program and provided 75 World Cup tickets so Kansas City youth can attend matches in the city. "We know that this will be probably a one in a lifetime opportunity," Park Shaw said, framing the gift as a way to "uplift our youth" and help neighborhood businesses benefit from the global event.

Jonathan Buckner, Airbnb public policy manager, said the company partnered with the city through its Open Doors program and Host City Impact efforts. "We jumped at the opportunity to be a partner," Buckner said, adding that Airbnb’s Host City Impact program includes a $5,000,000 commitment intended to ensure host cities benefit from the games.

Dr. Jennifer Collier, superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, thanked Airbnb and city leaders for arranging student access to matches. "This isn't just about attending a soccer match," Collier said. "It's an opportunity for our kids to see the world come to Kansas City, to experience and celebrate global cultures through sports, and also feel inspired at the very highest levels of competition."

Jason Roth, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, said experiences like attending World Cup matches can change young people's horizons. "For so many of the young people we serve, experiences like this can be truly life changing," Roth said, and thanked Park Shaw and Airbnb for making the opportunity available.

A FIFA representative introduced during the event and identified in the transcript as Erica Calhoun addressed the students and encouraged them to dream big and engage with the event. "We were athletes just like y'all... We used to dream big," she told the crowd.

Park Shaw described how the 75 tickets will be distributed over several upcoming games. She said all six high schools in the Kansas City Public School system would receive tickets, and as she put it: "2 from the boys' team, 2 from the girls, and a coach will receive tickets to the games." She also said the Boys and Girls Club would receive a portion of the tickets. Park Shaw invited student recipients to the stage for a ticket presentation.

The announcements at Swope Soccer Village emphasized community partnership — city leaders, nonprofit youth organizations, public schools and private corporate partners working to give young people local access to a major international sporting event. Organizers said the contributions aim to benefit both youth and small businesses through the Open Doors program; beyond the numbers cited at the event, no independent verification of the Host City Impact fund details was provided on site.

Park Shaw closed the presentation by asking students to enjoy the experience and to learn from it: "Don't take it for granted. Take lots of pictures, look all around, ask questions," she said. The ticket presentation proceeded onstage after the remarks.