"I think there's something special about kids that's uplifting; you see how pure-hearted kids are," Kaepernick said.
Kaepernick paid a surprise visit to the kids at the Ronald McDonald House and gave them an Xbox One. The house is a home away from home for families whose children are receiving treatment at the nearby UCSF hospital.
Ronald Butler, his wife, and two kids from Reno, are staying free of charge while 16-month-old Flynn undergoes surgery.
"It's been wonderful having this we couldn't have done it without these people," Butler said.
More than 4,000 families have lived at the Ronald McDonald House.
"Because we came from far away from Hawaii, we don't have family to help out but the Ronald McDonald House is the best family for us," Ana Seini Faiva said.
And now Kaepernick is part of that family. He is behind McDonald's Xbox One promotion and used it Monday to lift the spirits of stressed out parents and worried children. He says he remembers as a kid having people look out for him.
"So it's another way to give back and keep helping people," Kaepernick said.
Another Ronald McDonald House is being built in San Francisco that will triple the size of the 10-bedroom home. Kaepernick's appearance might help.
"It will bring attention to the house and maybe get people to donate," Ronald McDonald House spokesperson Lee Ann Freeman said.
