Month: June 2021

Piper, Sumner, Eisenhower former players join forces to benefit Morris Letcher

A fundraiser for Morris Letcher is planned on Saturday, June 26.

by Brian Turrel

Eisenhower Middle School in Kansas City, Kansas, will be the site for the inaugural Morris Letcher Basketball Classic. The event starts at noon on Saturday, June 26.

Proceeds from admissions and merchandise sales will go to benefit KCK Assistant Fire Chief Morris Letcher and his family. Letcher was incapacitated by a series of medical issues, including a stroke, in early and mid-2020.

In addition to his longtime service as a firefighter, Letcher was a basketball coach for many years at Eisenhower Middle School, Sumner Academy, and Piper High School. The basketball game will be played by Letcher’s former players from each school.

In addition to the basketball game, the event will feature performances from music artists Jooby Truth and AyEl, along with DJ Mr. Skilled Hands (LaDale Beason) and Tha Goonez.

Vendors will include fashion label KCK Legends with local-themed gear, and Kaleidoscoops with ice cream treats.

Brian “B.J.” Johnson, a former Sumner basketball player for Letcher, and now a resident of Los Angeles, learned of Letcher’s situation on a recent business trip back to Kansas City. He was determined to help, and pulled together the event in less than three weeks.

“This is to show his impact, what he’s done,” said Johnson. “As a community, we want to embrace him, and let him know he’s not alone.”

Johnson would like to see the event continue in coming years as Letcher continues his rehabilitation.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inaugural-morris-letcher-basketball-classic-tickets-160598180481. Eisenhower Middle School is located at 2901 N. 72nd St.

Monarchs pound Milwaukee with 20 runs

There were only two innings Wednesday when the Kansas City Monarchs didn’t score, and nine KC players got hits as the Monarchs won 20-5 on the road against the Milwaukee Milkmen.

Kansas City (18-12) has not lost a series against a North Division opponent all year, and they tried to keep that streak alive against the Milwaukee Milkmen (20-12) in game three of their four-game series Wednesday night.

The Monarchs got things going right away in the top of the first inning; it only took 10 pitches for them to strike first.

Darnell Sweeney worked an eight-pitch walk in the game’s lead-off at-bat. Two pitches later, it was spark plug Ryan Grotjohn who drove Sweeney in after driving one to deep center field for a triple. Kansas City finished the inning up 2-0.

As the game went on, things did not get any easier for Milwaukee’s ace. Myles Smith was able to keep the Monarchs off the bases in both the second and third innings, but the offense came alive again in the fourth when Colin Willis clubbed his fifth homer of the season. Charcer Burks had a front row-view of his teammate’s homer from third base after his triple.

The defending league champions did not go away without a fight, though. They responded with their first run in the bottom half of the fourth.

The Milkmen ended their drought after a lead-off home run from Christian Correa, making the score 4-1.

Jake Matthys, the winning pitcher, settled in on the mound after that and retired the next three batters to finish the inning.

Kansas City hit another long shot into the trees beyond the outfield fence. This time around, it was Casey Gillaspie. The first baseman has homered in all of the last three series.

The Monarchs continued their success at the plate in the sixth when they tallied three hits, three walks, and three runs. The Milkmen then scored four runsin the bottom of the inning off two home runs by Brett Walker II and Christ Conley (9-5).

The Monarchs grew familiar with timely hitting as the game progressed. Gabby Guerrero delivered one in the seventh with the bases loaded. His single up the middle brought in Sweeney and Olmeda (11-5).

Matthys exited the game in seventh, handing the ball to left-handed reliever Elroy Urbina. The reliever held the Milkmen right where they stood. Urbina faced five batters, walking one, striking out one, and only allowing one hit.

Fellow left-handed pitcher Eric Cha was next out of the bullpen for the Monarchs, and he followed suit. The middle infield turned a double-play behind Cha, and then he retired Anibal Sierra – a former Monarch – to end the inning. Ramsey Romano came into the game to finish it off, going three up, three down.

In the 20-5 road victory, the Monarchs set a season high for hits (23) and runs.

A box score for the game is at http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=553217.

The series finale will take place Thursday evening with the first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. in Milwaukee at Franklin Field. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:10 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

  • Story from Jaxson Webb, Monarchs

Plastic surgeon joins Providence Medical Center

Dr. Raven Henderson

Dr. Raven Henderson, a board-certified plastic surgeon, has joined the Providence Medical Center staff.

Dr. Henderson is now providing plastic surgery procedures at the Medical Center and has an office in the doctors’ building located at 8919 Parallel Parkway, Suite 203, Kansas City, Kansas.

Dr. Henderson is a native of Texas where she completed medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston. She completed a general surgery residency at Brookdale Hospital in New York and a plastic surgery fellowship at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Henderson to our campus,” said Karen Orr, registered nurse, chief executive officer of Providence Medical Center. “We continue to expand the medical specialties offered on our campus so our patients can find expert care close to home.”

Services Dr. Henderson provides include:

Breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction (female and male), nose reshaping (rhinoplasty), eyelid lift (blepharoplasty), liposuction, tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, facelifts, neck lift, buttocks lift, brow-forehead lift, ear surgery (otoplasty) and botox.

To make an appointment with Dr. Henderson, call 913-334-6800.