Another flipping success! The Auburn Teammates Chapter, the Auburn Knights of Columbus, and members of the Peru State College (PSC) football team partnered together to host a very successful pancake and sausage breakfast fundraiser.

The annual event was held at the Auburn Senior Center on Sunday, Jan. 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and was coordinated by Elaine Hanson, the first lady of Peru State College and President of the Auburn Teammates Board.

Mrs. Hanson was pleased with the success of the event and proclaimed it a great day. “It takes team work to put on a fundraiser of this kind. I was very happy to have the Bobcat football players teaming up with District 29 TeamMates Chapter Board members and the Knights of Columbus to put on the fundraiser.  Monies earned will be put towards scholarships for graduating TeamMates.”
Members of the Knights of Columbus did the hard work in preparing and serving the breakfast. It certainly appeared they were enjoying their tasks of preparing the huge pancakes being served to those in attendance.
Eleven Bobcat football players, some of whom are TeamMates mentors, assisted with the event. Those helping were Dean Wood (Gretna)*, Dan Mettler (Lincoln)*, Tyler Audsley (Prescott Valley, Ariz.), Nate Tromblee (Lincoln), Mitch Boshart (Wood River)*, Hayden Wills (Honolulu, Hawaii), Joe Hobert (Wichita, Kan.), Dillon Bruggeman (Lincoln), Justin Wasmuth (Granite City, Ill.), Lance Steffen (Murdock), and Zack Lempka (Sterling). Those with asterisks (*) are current TeamMate mentors.
Lempka, Steffen, and Boshart delivered to-go boxes to former Peru State employees at Long’s Creek to Dr. Lester Russell – Professor Emeritus of Industrial Technology and Gerry Brady – a longtime employee in the College’s Registrar’s Office. They attempted to take the delicious breakfast to Bonnie Rutz Carlisle – the modern-day founder of women’s athletics, at the Good Samaritan Center, but due to the flu and colds, were unable to make the delivery. Russell and Brady were pleased to receive the food and happy to see the PSC student-athletes.
Boshart had this to say of the experience, “The TeamMate’s breakfast was a great community experience for me and a number of my teammates.  We were exposed to many countless people from the surrounding communities who contribute greatly to Peru State College. A few of us were given the privilege of delivering breakfasts to well-known alumni and former faculty members of the College. It was great to meet and talk to people from a very different time at PSC.”
Mrs. Hanson noted that final totals of what was raised were not available, but provided a final comment. She concluded, “In any game, planning is essential for success and good results. The planning for the TeamMates Pancake Fundraiser was evident Sunday as Board Members, Knights of Columbus and PSC Athletes worked together and experienced success! And in this “game” everyone was a Winner! It is heart-warming to see PSC Athletes and community members working side by side for a great cause. I would like to thank the community for supporting District #29 TeamMates.”
The TeamMates’ mission is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. Tom and Nancy Osborne founded the TeamMates Mentoring Program in 1991 in an effort to provide support and encouragement to school aged youth. The goal of the program is to see youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. To reach this goal, youth meet one hour per week with a caring adult who serves as a mentor. Mentors are volunteers from the community who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the life of a young person. Mentors give youth a sense of hope, purpose and vision.
In conclusion, Mrs. Hanson added, “District #29 TeamMates is a well-run, well-organized and well-managed mentoring program, serving many students by mentors which includes several PSC student-athletes serving as mentors! Many more students (grades 5 - 12) would love to have a mentor. For more information, please go to www.teammates.org or contact Gretchen Golladay @ 402-274-4220 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .”