Rural Missouri - September 2022 - 16

Left: KC Wolf tries to a get a reaction out of a visitor to the Heckart Community Center at its grand opening in Sedalia. Dan attends events such
as this one to entertain guests and promote the Chiefs. Right: KC Wolf jokingly dries off the head of a man eating at the grand opening.
ziplined into Arrowhead and the crowd loved it, " he says.
" We wanted to do something similar, just not the exact
same. So I was going to bungee jump in and zipline across
the stadium. "
The day before the game, he was doing a practice run
of his stunt. He stood on a bank of lights high above the
football field and jumped. Too much slack in the line sent
Dan 70 feet down onto seats in section 324 of the Arrowhead
Stadium. " I did some damage to those seats, " Dan
says with a laugh. " But they did a number on my body. "
Dan spent nine days in the hospital before he was
released for six months of physical therapy. " At first I
thought, if I just work hard for one week I'll be ready to
go, " he says. " I was not prepared for how mentally challenging
it is to recover from something like that. Day after
day after day of appointments and physical therapy. "
Dan says the fall put his life in perspective in short
order. He helped pass the time during his recovery by
writing his first book, " Wolves Can't Fly. " The book
includes stories from his career as KC Wolf and how his
faith plays a role in everything he does.
" I've always heard there are no accidents, just incidents
as part of God's perfect plan for my life, " Dan says. " I
didn't like the pain, but I knew God must have a purpose
behind this pain or he would've never allowed it in my life. "
Dan says the six months of rehab made him realize
how much he loved what he did. He returned to the
field the following year to continue his duties as KC Wolf.
" When I first put it back on I was a little tentative, " he
says of his wolf suit. " I asked my doctor what I could and
couldn't do and he just said, 'Dan, you've got titanium
rods, you're not going to break them.' "
Two years after the fall, he expanded his mission work
16 RURAL MISSOURI | SEPTEMBER 2022
using funds from his book and speaking engagements. In
addition to the more than $150,000 raised for orphanages
and homeless shelters, KC Wolf has visited orphanages in
Haiti, Honduras, India, the Philippines and Tanzania.
" When we did our first mission trip to an orphanage in
Haiti it made me realize just how blessed I am personally
living here in the United States and that I've got this ridiculous
platform to make an impact on people, " he says.
" These kids don't know who the Chiefs are or KC Wolf is.
We just hope we can bring some joy to their lives. "
Dan stays busy all year long with hundreds of corporate
and motivational speaking commitments in addition
to his appearances as KC Wolf at weddings, parades and
school programs.
About to start his 33rd season running around Arrowhead
Stadium, Dan is the longest tenured NFL mascot by
about 15 years, appearing in more than 350 games. He
says his fall and lingering pain are a constant reminder to
live each day to its fullest.
" What that little bungee jump did for me was let me
realize that life is temporary, " Dan says. " I have a friend
who tells me that we're all like jugs of milk. We all have
an expiration date, just ours isn't printed on us. I can't
tell you what that date is for me. But I can tell you that
between right now and that date, I intend
to live life to the fullest and use my
time, talents and treasures to make an
impact on the lives of those around
me. "
Kansas City
For more information on Dan or
to purchase one of his books, visit
www.danmeers.org.

http://www.danmeers.org

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