Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis will be repping Canine Companions blue and yellow when he takes on the Cincinnati Bengals this upcoming Sunday.
Karlaftis is one of hundreds of NFL players participating in the My Cause My Cleats (MCMC) program*, which allows players to “reveal their passions beyond the game and wear their hearts on their feet.”
Karlaftis chose to partner with Canine Companions for MCMC after meeting program graduate Patrick and Service Dog Julio during training camp.
Patrick, who is in first grade, attends the Chiefs training camp with his family each year, according to his mother Brie. In fact, Brie says they were at the Chiefs training camp when they took the initial call that Patrick had been approved to receive a Canine Companions service dog.
Come Sunday, Dec. 4, fans will be able to see Service Dog Julio featured on George’s custom-made cleats.
“I am such a huge Chiefs fan, I’ve grown up in Kansas City my whole life,” says Craig Greco, president and CEO of Greco Paintworks.*
Greco says he drew inspiration from his own love of dogs when designing the cleats for Karlaftis. It’s why he decided to feature his dogs Dash and Violet when creating a video to showcase the shoe design process.
“Dash is always carrying shoes around our house – he never chews them up – but he’s always carrying them around. It’s like a pacifier to him,” Greco laughed.
After Sunday’s game, Karlaftis will have the opportunity to raise funds for Canine Companions by auctioning the cleats and donating 100% of the proceeds.
Funds raised for Canine Companions help our mission to place more expertly trained service dogs with adults, children and veterans, free of charge. You can learn more here.
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