Category: Kansas City Kansas

Registration open for ‘Fishing for Fitness’ Tournament

by Kelly Rogge

Kansas City Kansas Community College is getting ready to go fishing, but not in the way you might expect.

The Fishing for Fitness Tournament starts March 31 at KCKCC’s Wellness and Fitness Center. The four-week Incentive Program combines physical activity with tracking of weekly fruit and vegetables. Pam Hall, personal trainer at the Wellness Center, said it is a great way to challenge KCKCC employees and students.

At the beginning of each week, participants will catch a “fish,” which will determine the amount of weight in pounds that week’s activity will be worth.

Activity pounds are tracked and turned in weekly.  Bonus activity pounds can be earned as well as bonus pounds for daily fruit and vegetables.  At the end of the four weeks, participants “weigh in” to see who has the most pounds of healthy activity.

“The goal of the program is to challenge our employees and wellness students to add more physical activity to their days and weeks, to make a consistent effort to include physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices in their everyday lives,” she said. “This program provides physical activity and nutrition components that are assigned an amount of poundage. The goal is to weigh in each week with the most amounts of pounds you can accrue accordingly.”

This is the third time KCKCC has done Fishing for Fitness. Last year, the Wellness Center had an indoor duathlon for the spring health incentive program, however, not many participated. Instead, past participations of the Fishing for Fitness Tournament requested it be brought back.

“This program gets participants who are struggling to keep an exercise program going jumpstarted and motivated to keep going for a consistent four weeks,” Hall said. “The Fishing for Fitness Tournament also will challenge the consistent exercisers to add a bit more to their weekly activity. It will challenge all participants to take four weeks and give back to themselves in a healthy way.”

For more information or to register for the Fishing for Fitness Tournament, visit the KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center or call Pam Hall at 913-288-7368. Hall can also be contacted by email at [email protected].

Donnelly plans Multicultural Festival April 11

Donnelly College will hold its 2014 Multicultural Festival fr0m 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 11,  at 608 N. 18th St., in Kansas City, Kan.

This annual, family-friendly event allows Donnelly College to showcase and celebrate the wide array of cultures included in its student population.

Highlights of this year’s festival will include fun and interactive student presentations;  international food sampling; henna body painting; live music and dance performances; and hand-crafted items, which will be available for purchase. Admission, as well as on-campus parking, is free and open to the public.

Student displays, designed to educate on local, regional, and international culture and customs, will be held from  4 to 6:30 p.m. in Donnelly College’s Community Event Center.

Food vendor sales, arts and crafts, and musical performances will take place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the Campus Meeting Room. Ottoman’s House, Ten Thousand Villages, The Embellished Body, and local, Latin music group, Son Selecta, will be among the featured vendors and performers.

“The Multicultural Festival is my favorite event of the year,” said Betsy Gran, Multicultural Festival co-coordinator. “Our students come from all over the world and it’s wonderful to celebrate their cultures–and ours–through food, dance and music.”

For more information about the Donnelly Multicultural Festival, contact Michelle Bridges at 913-621-8757 or [email protected].

New talent added to Bishop Ward coaching staff

by Kristin Blacksher

Bishop Ward baseball has seen much success in the last 10 years under the leadership of Head Coach Dennis Hurla: the team has won seven regional championship titles, six state championship titles and smashed four state records since 2004.

Last Thursday, the preseason baseball poll conducted by the coaches in Kansas Class 4A DII had the Bishop Ward Cyclones ranked No. 1 in the state.

With the start of the season quickly approaching, coach Hurla and Bishop Ward have announced new talent to the 2014 baseball team: coaches Chance Brull, Bill Grosdidier, class of ’77, Ralph Anthony Sanchez, class of ’01, and Michael Golubski, class of ’12.

Coach Chance Brull attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School and then successfully became a four-year Doane College letter winner and NAIA All-American pitcher. He represented the United States of America in the Goodwill Series played in Australia, where the USA team competed against the Chinese national team and the Australian semi-professional team. Chance will assist in pitching and coaching JV games.

Coach Bill Grosdidier attended Bishop Ward High School and graduated in 1977. He played on the 1977 5A-6A Bishop Ward team and pitched a shutout state tournament game against the No. 1 ranked Wichita Southeast team. He earned a baseball scholarship to Benedictine College where he played for four years as a pitcher. Then in 1983, he signed a contract to play baseball for the Atlanta Braves organization from 1983-1986, reaching AA level. Grosdidier will assist in pitching and coaching varsity games.

Coach Ralph Anthony Sanchez is a 2001 Bishop Ward High School graduate and lifelong resident of Kansas City, Kan. He was the starting second baseman of the 2001 Bishop Ward baseball team that placed third at state. Sanchez will coach infielders and JV games.

Coach Michael Golubski graduated from Bishop Ward High School in 2012. He was the starting third baseman of the 2010 Bishop Ward state championship team. Golubski will coach outfielders and JV games.

 Kristin Blacksher is the marketing and alumni manager for Bishop Ward High School.