The Black Hills State University athletic department has been named a finalist for their Heroes’ Day celebration for the football game against Colorado School of Mines back on October 21 with the corresponding Heroes’ Day Celebration dinner to thank the local heroes of the Spearfish community for their service.
The Award of Excellence is an NCAA Division II initiative that works to promote the Division II philosophy, community engagement, and student-athlete leadership. It’s an award that honors DII members for conducting events that promote student-athletes giving back and serving leaders within their community or campuses.
“Our annual Heroes Appreciation Dinner is a small gesture to say ‘Thank You’ to the important men and women who serve our community, state, and country. This event has proven to be a meaningful way for our young men to engage with those in public service while creating connections within our community,” commented head football coach Josh Breske. “Our Heroes assist in placing our American-themed Sting decal on our helmets for the Heroes Appreciation Game and it’s been a very impactful tradition for our program – one that we plan to keep.”
The 2024 Award of Excellence winner will be announced at the NCAA Convention on January 13. Each finalist will receive $500, while the winner will receive $2,500 with all prize money to be used for future SAAC initiatives or community engagement events.