Sports
“Adopt a Lumberjack” enters second season
Matthew Semisch
08/19/2014
The Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) hockey team is launching its second annual “Adopt a Lumberjack” project, which encourages Bottineau families to welcome DCB players into their homes and lives over the upcoming school year.
Lumberjacks head coach Travis Rybchinski and project coordinator Rachel Patterson are heading up the project, which is independent from DCB’s broader Logrollers booster club.
The main objective of the “Adopt a Lumberjack” project is to provide DCB players with an enhanced positive experience during their time in Bottineau. Through the project, participating families are able to get to know their adopted Lumberjacks for more than just what they see on the ice.
Participating families are asked to invite their adopted Lumberjacks into the families’ homes once a month for dinner. Another thing the families are encouraged to do is to make care baskets for their players to take on the team’s road trips.
These baskets can be dropped off at DCB before the team heads out of Bottineau for its games. Items that can be included in the care baskets are baked goods, other types of food, drinks, crossword puzzles and other things that can help make long stretches on the road easier to handle.
Sack lunches for road trips are another suggestion that “Adopt a Lumberjack” families can take on board.
For its part in the “Adopt a Lumberjack” project, the DCB hockey program itself is giving back to participating families. The program and Lumberjacks fans always look forward to the annual “Skate with the Jacks” night, which allows kids to skate on the Bottineau Community Arena ice alongside players from their hometown college hockey team.
Familes are also encouraged to invite their adopted players over for other sorts of family activities. Movie nights, game nights and day trips to Minot are but a few suggestions.
Interested families can call Patterson for more information at (701) 228-3448 or Rybchinski’s office at DCB at (701) 228-5450.