Month: April 2020

Harvesters to hold large food distribution April 30 in Wyandotte County

Harvesters—The Community Food Network will hold a free mobile food distribution in Wyandotte County at the site of the former Indian Springs mall, 4601 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 30.

The distribution will provide food to feed 1,200 households and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until all food has been distributed. Each household will receive a box of nonperishable items, a box of fresh produce and some frozen meat items.

Residents have been posting on social media that they planned to get to the food distribution site by 7 a.m. or earlier.

The distribution is designed for residents of Wyandotte County and is held in cooperation with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. Kansas City, Kansas. Police will help direct traffic.

Wyandotte County residents should enter the distribution site off of 38th and State Avenue, head south to Orville Avenue and follow that west to the former mall parking lot. Volunteers wearing masks and gloves will load food into cars.

Harvesters normally distributes food through its network of partner agencies, but is holding this mobile distribution to help ease the burden on its network trying to meet the tremendous increase in demand for food assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our agencies are seeing anywhere from 30 to 40 percent more people seeking assistance,” Valerie Nicholson-Watson, Harvesters’ president and CEO, said. “We’re committed to feeding hungry families and seniors in our community. We currently have an abundance of fresh produce that needs to be distributed quickly, and we know there are so many who are in need of immediate help.”

“COVID-19 continues to challenge the health and financial well-being of our community,” Mayor-CEO David Alvey said. “Not only do our residents face the risk of infection, but many lack the financial resources to pay for food, rent, and utilities. The assistance offered by Harvesters will help many of our most vulnerable to put food on the table, and we are deeply grateful.”

Part of the food distributed at this mobile site includes food items received through the USDA’s disaster food program for COVID-19. Additional food from this USDA program is being distributed through Harvesters’ regular network of food pantries and mobile distributions.

A Harvesters spokesman said that she hoped that the Harvesters food distribution this week can help fill the gap for families who might have received food from the Kansas City, Kansas, school district, which has canceled this week’s school lunch program because of illness.

Financial donations are really critical now, the spokesman stated.

More mobile distributions will be added as needed, according to Harvesters. Plans are underway to hold an additional large food distribution in Jackson County, Missouri, in early May. Additional details will be announced soon.

Anyone who needs food assistance throughout Harvesters’ 26-county service area can find a food pantry, food kitchen or mobile food distribution near their home by entering their zip code in the agency locator on the “Get Help” page of Harvesters’ website: www.harvesters.org.

Sporting’s Kuzain and Alekzandur cruise to finals of eMLS tournament special

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Wan Kuzain and eMLS player Alekzandur advanced to the finals of the inaugural eMLS Tournament Special on Sunday with dominant victories over Minnesota United FC and D.C. United.

Kuzain and Alekzandur scored 11 unanswered goals to win Week Two of the marquee EA Sports FIFA 20 competition, ousting Minnesota goalkeeper Tyler Miller and eMLS player Jay Adams in the first round before topping D.C. United midfielder Paul Arriola and eMLS player Mohamed Diop in the second round.

The Week Two triumph sends Kuzain and Alekzandur to the final four of the eMLS Tournament Special, which will see a champion crowned on Sunday, May 17.

Sporting’s semifinal matchup will come against LAFC striker Adama Diomande and eMLS player RemiMartinn. The championship episode of the five-part series will be televised nationally on FS1 at 6 p.m.


Sporting KC eMLS Tournament Special Week Two results
• Match 1, Leg 1: Won 4-0 (Kuzain vs. Minnesota goalkeeper Tyler Miller)
• Match 1, Leg 2: Won 2-0 (Alekzandur vs. Minnesota eMLS player Jay Adams)
• Match 2, Leg 1: Won 2-0 (Kuzain vs. DC United midfielder Paul Arriola)
• Match 2, Leg 2: Won 3-0 (Alekzandur vs. DC United eMLS player Moahmed Diop)

The eMLS Tournament Special teams up MLS players and eMLS players from the same MLS clubs in a single-elimination FIFA 20 competition.

With Kuzain and Alekzandur in the mix, Sporting is one of 16 MLS clubs to feature a team in the event.

Sporting and LAFC will be joined in the tournament finals on May 17 by the winners of the Week Three and Week Four episodes, which will air on May 3 and 10, at 6 p.m. on FS1.

Kuzain, a 21-year-old Sporting KC Academy product who scored his first MLS goal against Minnesota on June 3, 2018, at Children’s Mercy Park, put four goals past Miller on Sunday to put Sporting in firm control of the first-round contest. Alekzandur, a Kansas City native and one of the best FIFA players in the world, struck twice in the second leg to seal a 6-0 aggregate victory.

Sporting displayed further ruthlessness in the second round, with Kuzain dispatching Arriola 2-0 and Alekzandur beating Diop 3-0 to clinch another shutout win on aggregate and vault the duo into the tournament finals.

With hosts from FOX Sports, including Stu Holden, Rachel Bonnetta and Rodolfo Landeros with color commentary from Mike LaBelle, the eMLS Tournament Special takes place on an entirely remote basis with MLS and eMLS players competing from their homes.

Each episode features four different clubs competing to win. Matchups are contested over two legs, with the MLS players playing the first leg and the eMLS professional FIFA players competing against each other in the second leg. The best aggregate score determines the victor.

The newly launched series is part of MLS Unites, a league-wide platform designed to educate communities, entertain fans and elevate heroic efforts taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After each of the five episodes, MLS WORKS, the league’s social responsibility platform, and FOX Sports make a donation on behalf of the winning club to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. A total of $50,000 will be donated to support frontline workers and feed vulnerable populations in the U.S. and Canada.

Benefiting two national hunger relief organizations, the eMLS Tournament Special will unfold in conjunction with Sporting Serves, a newly launched philanthropic platform that will see Sporting Kansas City and The Victory Project partner with several community partners to provide relief to citizens across Greater Kansas City in a unified response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


eMLS Tournament Special schedule and results
(All episodes at 6 p.m. on FS1)
• April 19 (Week 1): Won by LAFC duo Adama Diomande and RemiMartinn
• April 26 (Week 2): Won by Sporting KC duo Wan Kuzain and Alekzandur
• May 3 (Week 3): New York Red Bulls vs. NYCFC; FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo
• May 10 (Week 4): Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Toronto FC; Atlanta United vs. Orlando City
• May 17 (Finals): Sporting KC, LAFC, Week 3 winner and Week 4 winner

  • Story from Sporting KC

Police notes

Assault reported on North 58th Street

Victims observed a suspect yelling and screaming in the area of 3000 block of North 58th Street about 9:50 p.m. April 27, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

As the victim called 911, the suspect pointed a gun at the victim, according to the report.

Aggravated burglary and robbery reported on South 11th

Suspects kicked in a front door and entered a home with guns about 10:02 p.m. April 27 in the 300 block of South 11th Street, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The suspects demanded property and hit the victims with a blunt object, the report stated. The victims had minor injuries that did not require treatment, according to the report.