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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Wednesday, November 18, 2009  Free Health Clinic for Uninsured People Scheduled at Bartle Hall Kansas City Convention Center KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), November 18, 2009 - Organizers of a free health clinic for uninsured residents of Louisiana are pleased with its success, November 14. Not only did the clinic see 1,000 patients, it may have saved the lives of some sick individuals. Many of the patients had not seen a physician since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. Volunteer physicians and other medical providers tended to the health care needs of over 1,000 patients who attended the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The clinic was organized by the National Association of Free Clinics and Louisiana Free Clinic Association (NAFC). "We saw a number of very sick patients today who have not had medical care for many years," Doctor Corey Hebert, a New Orleans physician and one of the clinic's medical directors said. "This clinic was a life saver for many people who have no way to pay for their healthcare needs. " Corey went on to say, "It is important that this is the same facility where people were dying four years ago and today we are giving them life." His remarks were in reference to the aftermath of Katrina and the human crisis that occurred at convention center. "It was wonderful to provide free care to so many people in one day," Nicole Lamoureux, executive director of the NAFC, said. "But it also was important that we were able to connect a large number of these patients with free clinics and other health care providers who can provide them with care on a day-to-day basis." The NAFC and the Louisiana Free Clinic Association sponsored the event. The 727 volunteers who participated included physicians, nurses, other medical providers and non-medical individuals. This was the second massive free clinic the NAFC has sponsored. Over 1,700 patients received treatment at the first one, which was held in Houston in September. Two more C.A.R.E. Clinics are planned in Little Rock on Nov. 21 and Kansas City on Dec. 9, from 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Dec. 10, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., at Bartle Hall Kansas City Convention Center. "I'm looking forward to building on the successes in Houston and New Orleans to help even more people," NAFC President Sheri Wood, who is based in Kansas City, said. Patients are encouraged to call 1-877-249-5030 for an appointment, as walk-ins will be seen on a limited basis. More information about the NAFC and the Little Rock and Kansas City events is available online at: http://freeclinics.us/.
KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), November 16, 2009 - In its ninth annual run, Kansas City Southern's (NYSE: KSU) (KCS) Holiday Express train will bring Santa Claus and his elves on 23 dates to 22 communities in eight states throughout The Kansas City Southern Railway Company's (KCSR) service territory, including Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. The Holiday Express will begin its run, November 28, at 4 p.m., at the Festival Plaza in Shreveport, LA and arrive, December 19, at 9:30 a.m., at Union Station in Kansas City, MO. Access to the Holiday Express train is free and open to the public. "Like many companies in North America, the economy has had a significant effect on our business, so we had to think carefully about whether to run the Holiday Express train this year," said KCS chairman and chief executive officer Michael R. Haverty. "We decided the goodwill, contributions to those in need and the holiday spirit that the Holiday Express generates in communities by bringing Santa to town is even more important this year." "The Holiday Express is also a source of pride for our employees, and it's important to us that they know this is a good place to work," said Mr. Haverty. "When we thought about what the Holiday Express means to communities and our employees, there was no question that the train should run again in 2009." In addition to bringing Santa Claus and his elves to many communities, the Holiday Express also has a charitable component. At each scheduled stop, The KCS Charitable Fund will make a contribution of Walmart gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide warm clothing for children in need. Thanks to contributions from KCS' employees, vendors and friends, The KCS Charitable Fund raised $112,825 in 2009 to purchase gift cards. Special thanks to the major sponsors, who helped make the charitable contribution possible, including Michael and Marlys Haverty, DST Systems, Inc., Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Morgan Keegan and Watco Companies. Led by KCS' Southern Belle business train, the six-car Holiday Express train includes a smiling tank car "Rudy;" a flat car carrying Santa's sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village; a ginger bread box car; the elves' workshop; the reindeer's stable; and a little red caboose. The Holiday Express was created in 2001 after volunteers dedicated over 8,000 hours to the rigorous transformation of the retired freight train. Festive music and lights complete the package. The Holiday Express train was built on the tradition of the former Gateway Western (GWWR) Santa Train, which made stops in small towns from East St. Louis, Ill., to Blue Springs, Mo. (GWWR was purchased by KCS in 1997.) In 2000, KCS employees noticed that the Santa Train was the only Christmas some kids had, and that some did not even have essential items like coats, hats and gloves. The employees were so touched that they committed to elevating the project to the experience that communities throughout KCSR's service area enjoy today. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is KCSR, serving the central and south central U.S. Its international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., serving northeastern and central Mexico and the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tampico and Veracruz, and a 50 percent interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS' North American rail holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Share the Harvest Initiative to Help Needy Families Across Missouri KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), November 16, 2009 - Share the Harvest, a public-private partnership that provides meat to families in need across Missouri, expects to increase its annual collection of venison by more than 75 percent over the next three years, using economic incentives awarded by Gov. Jay Nixon. In a release, Nixon stated, "As Missourians of all ages head to the woods for opening weekend of firearms deer season, I encourage folks to contribute venison to Share the Harvest," Gov. Nixon said, who planned to hunt in Clark County, Mo., on opening weekend. "Sharing the harvest is a great way to enjoy a time-honored Missouri tradition while also fulfilling a critical need for fresh, healthy meat in food banks across Missouri. By donating a deer to Share the Harvest, Missourians are literally putting food on the table for families in need during the holiday season." Administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Share the Harvest encourages hunters to donate their deer to needy Missourians. Share the Harvest reimburses participating meat processors for a portion of the cost of butchering and packaging whole deer donated by Missouri hunters. To participate, hunters simply take their deer to an approved processing plant and indicate how much venison they wish to contribute, ranging from a few pounds to a whole deer. Local processors store the venison until it is transported to a local distributing agency, such as a food pantry, homeless shelter or feeding center. For each whole deer contributed to Share the Harvest, the Conservation Federation reimburses local processors at a rate established each year. Because of limited financial resources, the Conservation Federation in 2007 was forced to place a cap on the total number of deer Share the Harvest can accept annually. Once an individual processor's cap has been reached, the processor must turn away potential contributions of deer. Gov. Nixon announced that the Missouri Department of Economic Development has approved Share the Harvest for about $200,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program economic incentives. The Neighborhood Assistance Program provides these incentives to support the work of non-profit organizations in endangered or underserved communities. Conservation Federation officials project that with these additional resources, they will be able to generate sufficient private contributions to expand the number of Share the Harvest processors from 125 last season to 135 over the next three years; boost the number of deer processed from 4,729 to 8,169; and increase the pounds of venison distributed from 265,138 to 457,464. "Each year, I am amazed by the generosity of Missouri hunters, and I'm thrilled that we'll be able to expand Share the Harvest in the years to come," said Dave Murphy, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. "Gov. Nixon's support of Share the Harvest means we will be able to accept more deer and deliver that meat to families in need in every corner of the state. Share the Harvest is a win for hunters, the environment, and those in need. The hunting and conservation community thanks Gov. Nixon for his leadership and support." "Extending a helping hand to Missourians in need and in poverty - in both urban and rural areas - is what the Neighborhood Assistance Program is all about," Gov. Nixon said. "I'm pleased we are able to make these resources available, and I look forward to working with the Conservation Federation and the Missouri Department of Conservation to help Share the Harvest grow even more in the years to come." The 2009 Missouri firearms deer season opened Saturday, November 14. A complete list of participating meat processors is available on the Missouri state Web site. Missourians can simply point their browsers to www.mo.gov and search for "Share the Harvest."   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. 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