Kansas City Mavericks: Lots of Rapid City Rush, plus Santa-visits to KC-area NICUs

Here’s what’s going on with the Kansas City Mavericks ECHL minor-league hockey team this week.

On the road again, and again

On Wednesday, the Mavericks traveled to Rapid City, S.D. and beat the Rush 2-1. Bryan Lemos and Jesse Mychan netted goals for the Mavs. They play the Rush again on Friday and Saturday night at Rapid City.

Santa’s NICU visits

The Mavericks are sponsoring visits by Santa Claus to three Kansas City-area HCA neonatal intensive care units on Friday.

Santa and his elves, along with Mavericks mascot “Mac,” will pay visits to critically ill babies and their families at Centerpoint Medical Center, Research Medical Center and Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Food for the visits is being provided by Andy’s Frozen Custard, Plowboys Barbeque, Donutology, Tippin’s, Jasper’s Restaurant and the Circle of Hope Foundation.

The Mavericks are the event’s presenting sponsor for the seventh year for a profoundly personal reason. Owner Lamar Hunt Jr.’s daughter, Sarah Hunt Arkell, and her husband, James, know firsthand the life-changing experience of having a newborn in a NICU. As a former NICU family, the couple spent five emotionally charged weeks keeping vigil over their critically ill son, Michael, at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s Level III NICU as neonatal experts and specialists nurtured and nourished him.

HCA Midwest Health is KC’s leading healthcare and NICU provider, caring for more critically ill newborns than any other area healthcare system.

Military Appreciation Weekend

The Mavericks’ next home games are Dec. 17-18, when it will be Military Appreciation Weekend, presented by Red Top Farms.

All military personnel can purchase $20 tickets to those games at the team’s box office at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.