Serving breakfast to a group of young women who play basketball for Black Hills State University (BHSU) has become a routine for the United Methodist Men in Spearfish, South Dakota.  When the BHSU Yellow Jackets women play basketball at home on a Friday and Saturday they get support, nourishment and inspiration from a group of 10-12 men from Spearfish UMC.

Photo: The Black Hills State University Women's Basketball team enjoy breakfast and fellowship at Spearfish UMC on Saturday, February 13. The Spearfish United Methodist Men prepare breakfast four to five times each year for the team. Photo courtesy of Everett Follette.

There are about four to five weekends each season that the BHSU Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team plays at home on both Friday and Saturday. Saturday morning of the home game weekend the team heads over to Spearfish UMC for a hot breakfast of pancakes or French toast, eggs, sausage (homemade sausage), biscuits and gravy.

“It is a ministry that we do,” said Everett Follette, Spearfish UMC. “It is a way for the church to connect to the university community.”

Follette is no stranger to BHSU. He served as a faculty member in Science Education for over 30 years. “There are several of us at Spearfish UMC who have worked at the university,” said Follette. “We like to keep connected. It keeps us young.”

It is more than just breakfast for the men who serve and the women who play on the basketball team. The two groups spend time visiting and getting to know each other. The men also attend the women’s basketball ball games. “It is great to support the team. Once you get to know these young women, you grow to appreciate them.  They are a lot of fun to be around,” said Follette.

Photo (right): The BHSU Yellow Jackets Women's Basketball team break from a huddle with a cheer. Photo courtesy of the BHSU web page.

The team has 19 wins and 4 losses so far for the 2015-16 season. The Yellow Jackets have team members from South Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota. The Spearfish UMC men try to provide a little bit of a 'home away from home' through the fellowship and support at breakfast and at the games.

“We are proud of the women,” described Follette. “The team members have a 3.4 G.P.A. on a 4.0 scale and a winning record.”

Spearfish UMC has had an active United Methodist Men’s group for decades. The group of 10-12 men meets the first and third Saturdays each month. The men collect aluminum cans to fund various mission efforts. They have collected enough cans to fund the Saturday morning breakfasts plus funds for the local food pantry, Artemis House (domestic abuse shelter), Honduras medical mission team and the Society for St. Andrews.

The men find themselves united in mission to serve others. The group ranges in age 8-80 - one of the guys frequently brings his foster grandson. “We don’t look at anything we do as a sacrifice,” said Follette. “We get more out of the breakfasts and other things we do than we could ever imagine.”