Blue KC’s “Shut Out the Stigma” Raises More Than $30,000
Initiative has raised more than $180,000 since 2021
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), in partnership with the Kansas City Royals, is proud to announce that Shut Out the Stigma – an initiative that promotes behavioral health as a part of overall health and well-being and focuses on removing the stigma around mental health – raised $30,090 in 2026 in support of six behavioral health organizations in Kansas City. The amount marks the third-straight year of Blue KC donating over $30,000 since Shut Out the Stigma began in 2021.
“As the only locally based, not-for-profit health insurer serving the Kansas City area for close to 90 years, Blue KC is committed to improving the health and wellness of those who live and work in the communities we serve,” said Jenny Housely, Blue KC President. “As part of that commitment, Blue KC prioritizes open conversations about behavioral health. 1 in 5 adolescents has a mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder. These issues can affect anyone, so we want to raise awareness that there are resources available to help those in our communities who need them.”
Throughout the entire 2026 Royals regular season, Blue KC, the “Official Health Insurance Provider of the Kansas City Royals,” donated $30 each time a Royals pitcher recorded a shutout inning. Based on the total number of shutout innings by Royals pitchers each month, Blue KC made a monthly donation to a different Kansas City area behavioral health organization that promotes mental health through participation in sports, including Metro Organization Countering Sexual Assault (MOCSA), Mental Health America of the Heartland, Summit Future Foundation, FosterAdopt Connect, Swope Health KidsCARE and Seton Center.
Shut Out the Stigma, now in its sixth year, has raised more than $180,000 going to 33 different behavioral health-focused organizations in the local community.
In the latest installment of this initiative, Shut Out the Stigma is focused on providing awareness to parents on how their interactions with their youth athletes can have long lasting impacts… shutting out a factor to future behavioral health issues. The award-winning documentary, “Not Good Enough”, is free for anyone to watch and is intended to emotionally resonate and cause people to reflect on their behavior to foster more positive interactions with their youth athletes.
For additional information, content and resources, visit shutoutthestigma.com. To watch “Not Good Enough” – the 40-minute documentary for free – visit shutoutthestigma.com/documentary.
Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs.
Shut Out the Stigma
