Athletes heat up kitchen in Rapid City, serving a delicious cook-off competition with charity in mind

Hardrockers and Rush players battle it out in the kitchen
Published: Feb. 20, 2024 at 12:57 AM EST

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Something was cooking in Rapid City on Monday, and the aromas from the food led to Fork Real Community Café.

The two dishes presented to the judges by the Rapid City Rush and the SDM Hardrocker football team.(Humberto Giles-Sanchez)

The Rapid City Rush hockey team and the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers football team had a heated competition Monday, but this time it wasn’t in the rink or a field but rather in a kitchen.

“We want to have fun with it, and I think we’re raising some money to as well for some charities. So, just raise as much money as we can and just have fun with it. I think that’s the most important thing,” expressed Rapid City Rush player Charles Martin.

“I was part of a couple of guys that, like, said they were decent at cooking, so that’s how I ended up here,” explained South Dakota Mines Hardrocker football player Wren Jacobs.

At first glance, having fun while cooking seemed to be what the competition was about, but it turns out that seeing athletes step out of their comfort zone to try something new wasn’t the only thing Monday evening had in store for them; it was giving back to the community those athletes also live in.

“It’s just a way for our two teams to just go out and again establish a great relationship between the two different teams but as well give back to the City of Rapid City and Fork Real here,” expressed South Dakota Mines Hardrocker head football coach Charlie Flohr. “So all the proceeds today are going to go back to Fork Real and everything that they’ve done, and for them to step up and kind of be the sponsor of this, you know, with this great organization and the Rapid City Rush.”

The players for both teams felt the same way.

“Whatever we can do to get out in the community, whether it be this or the other events we do, it’s always really important, and it’s important to show that, you know, they care so much about us that we also care about them, and, you know, without them, we wouldn’t be here,” expressed Rapid City Rush player Maurizio Colella.

“I mean, it’s the community that is there to support us, so we want to give back. You know, this place does great things for the community. So, being able to get out with the team and be with the Rush as well and do things that kind of give back to the community that supports us week in and week out,” expressed South Dakota Mines Hardrocker football player Jayden Johannsen.

And so they let them cook.

The final dish presented by the SDM football team.(Humberto Giles-Sanchez)
The final dish presented by the Rapid City Rush hockey team.(Humberto Giles-Sanchez)

The heated competition ended with the Hardrockers blowing the Rush out of the park with a 79-to-64-point win. Even though the Rush lost in the cooking competition, they held their own with donations, with their total standing at $176 to $156 for Mines. All the proceeds were donated back to the Fork Real Community Café.