By David Markham
“Made For This” is the theme for the upcoming 2027 season of the Kansas City Corporate Challenge (KCCC), which will begin April 2 with a kickoff party and end on June 26 with the tug of war competition.
“Our thought behind this is that everyone is it doesn’t matter how long it has been since you competed in anything; we believe you can do it and your company needs you because every point matters for your team,” explained KCCC Executive Director Chad Tower. “If your team is 50 or 5,000, you are made for camaraderie, made for team building, made for connection, and made for challenging yourself.”
Registration for the 2027 games began Oct. 19 and runs through Jan. 13. For more information, contact Tower at [email protected].
A program of JCPRD, KCCC is a celebrated tradition which brings co-workers together to race, rally, and celebrate side by side. Each spring, more than 20,000 competitors from more than 150 companies take part in events that test teamwork, spirit, and provide a little friendly rivalry, and reap benefits that often extend well beyond the competition.
“We had a little over 21,000 participants sign up to be eligible to play this year and with our event participation growing each year we love seeing all the different people out there competing and doing their best at each event,” Tower said. “With 158 companies competing in 2026 that is surely an impressive participation number.”
For 2027, Tower hopes to see participation in the games increase to 180 companies and over 25,000 participants.
Officials recently unveiled an all-new website meant to help teams and participants more easily navigate KCCC information.
“This new website better shows off KCCC and speaks to their impact and popularity in the community in a much, much more powerful way,” said Marketing and Communications Manager Kellen Jenkins. “One of the biggest goals was to improve the user experience, so that meant we took a look at the entire navigation structure of the site and rebuilt it to improve overall organization and help ensure that both company coordinators and participants can find the information they need quickly.”
Also for 2027, new venues for events including table tennis, weightlifting, billiards, and darts will be utilized, and new sponsorship packages with even more engagement opportunities are being offered.
“2027 will be the 48th year of KCCC and we are looking forward to seeing everyone out there again testing their limits at one of our 29 events because you are Made For This,” Tower said. “We will see companies competing in their 48th year with us and we will see companies where this will be their first experience competing. This is a great way for your company to team build with each other, network with other companies that you will be competing against, and promote health, wellness, and camaraderie by presenting participants with physical endeavors designed to challenge their bodies and minds through the spirit of corporate competition.”
Among the highlights of the 2026 games, Tower mentioned the popularity of KCCC’s soccer competition.
“With 2026 FIFA World Cup™ being in town, KCCC participants came out in full force as we had 101 companies sign teams up to play in our KCCC 4v4 Soccer Tournament and we had some great games,” he said. “This was the most companies that we have had for soccer in a long time, so the excitement of the World Cup transferred to KCCC. Working with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City (as KCCC’s 2026 charity partner) for the first time and the new Impact Challenge created an opportunity for companies to get their hands dirty for a good cause.”
KCCC’s first-ever Community Impact Challenge turned volunteering into another way for KCCC companies to make an impact during the games season. This challenge involved a friendly volunteer competition in which participating company teams could partner with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City to log service hours on Habitat for Humanity Kansas City projects. This challenge did not involve KCCC competition points, but the company with the most documented volunteer hours was recognized with the Community Impact Award at the KCCC Closing Celebration.
Applications for KCCC’s 2027 charity partner are being accepted and KCCC’s Board of Directors will vote in November on next year’s charity partner.
Companies interested in participating can learn more and register at JCPRD.com/2711/Company-Registration-Form.
