This wasn’t your stereotypical spring break excursion. It didn’t take place on Panama City Beach or South Padre Island. Rather than white sandy beaches or expansive ocean views, 15 student-athletes from the Concordia University, Nebraska Football program looked around and saw destruction. Surrounded by mountains in western North Carolina, Camp Linn Haven sits in a state of disrepair after it was ravaged by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
Thanks to the work of Head Coach Patrick Daberkow and the Bulldog Football players who joined him for the week of spring break, the condition of the camp is much improved. Commissioned by the philanthropic organization Orphan Grain Train, Concordia Football answered the call for help.
“It’s really impressive to me to have our players spend their spring break like that,” Daberkow said. “A lot of guys think of spring break and they think of beaches or relaxing. Our guys were able to go do some manual labor and serve. I think it speaks to their character.”
A year earlier, a group of football players sacrificed their spring break for a mission trip to Okmulgee, Okla., an area stricken by poverty. In Okmulgee, the group of Bulldogs replaced the roofs of two homes. This time around, Daberkow and his crew, including assistant coach Justin Hoffman and Concordia Provost Tim Pruess, were tasked with rebuilding and cleaning up parts of Camp Linn Haven, located in Linville, N.C. Weeks earlier, the Bulldog group agreed to the spring break service project while unaware of where it would take them.
The details were worked out by Orphan Grain Train’s Bill McAllister, a former Concordia Football coach himself. Former Bulldog Men’s Basketball coach Grant Schmidt (VP of Operations at Orphan Grain Train) also met up with the crew. Those who volunteered to serve on the trip arrived in North Carolina on March 9 and remained in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains until March 15. While staying in close quarters within cabins that featured bunk beds, the 15 Bulldog players enjoyed the chance to interact with each other in a completely different environment.
A sophomore from Wahoo, Neb., Calvin Sassaman remarked, “Coach Daberkow was so funny. When it’s football, he’s business. Working with him, he’s honestly one of the guys. He’s like hanging out with a fun uncle. It was cool.”
Sassaman had also been part of the Oklahoma trip in 2024 and saw what immense reward resulted from a week of service. In this journey to the small town situated 65 miles northwest of Ashville, the Concordia crew built porches, staircases and wood racks, made repairs to damaged infrastructure and cleaned trash and debris. Months earlier, buildings within the camp had taken on five feet of water as part of Hurricane Helene’s wrath. Daberkow even noted seeing a gravestone that must have traveled several miles before washing up in the camp.
For five-straight mornings, the crew awoke at 6:45 for breakfast. Soon afterwards, the traveling party would get to work and carry out tasks until roughly 4 p.m. (with a break for lunch included). Following an evening dinner, McAllister led nightly devotions. Of course, Daberkow and company also made time for hiking and appreciating the scenic mountains and valleys within them.
Daberkow’s father and uncle (both contractors) added a level of expertise to the construction efforts. Leaders within the LCMS camp were impressed by how efficient the Concordia crew was at completing tasks.
Said junior Jesse Herndon of Saronville, Neb., when asked about the reward of taking part in the mission, “Just seeing the progress that we had made. They made a pretty big list of tasks that they thought would take the whole week. We got a large majority of it done in the first day. I think we kind of exceeded their expectations. It was fun to see the progress. We took something that was damaged and made it functional. They’re going to be able to use that in the future. Just seeing the end product compared to where we started was really gratifying.”
Like Sassaman, Herndon and junior Mason Fortney (Ashland, Neb.) also ventured to Oklahoma for the 2024 spring break trip. Asked why he would spend his spring break in this fashion, Fortney said, “Coach preaches a lot about our Christian duty as men to help others. I saw it as an opportunity to help some people. I thought it was the best way I could spend my spring break.”
There was at least one mishap that Sassaman can now shrug off. The Bishop Neumann High School alum stepped on a nail at one point and was sent to a local hospital for a tetanus shot. It was only a minor inconvenience the way Sassaman sees it. He enjoyed building camaraderie with teammates and learning more about them. The only real downside was dealing with teammates who snore.
“It was so much fun to get to know everybody way better,” Sassaman said. “You learn a lot from people when you’re staying in the same cabin and working with them for a whole week. A lot of them say they don’t snore, but they actually do snore. That’s one thing they need to get called out for.”
All jokes aside, each person who experienced the service mission came away feeling grateful for the opportunity to serve others. Said Fortney, “It feels good to make a difference and to know the effect you’ll have on the community. That’s really all the reward that you need – to be able to help people. After telling other guys about it, they wished they had been on the trip. I would encourage others who have an opportunity to go help somebody to go do it.”
Added Herndon, “It’s a great opportunity for anybody. The football team has benefited from it. Just doing these service projects in general is something that gets our name out there. It’s a great growing opportunity and learning opportunity. I’ve been able to connect with these guys in a new light that I wouldn’t have been able to just through football or school. These opportunities are something that I don’t think many people get. Coach Mac and Coach Dab provided us with something unique. I was really grateful for it.”
As their testimony indicates, spring break doesn’t have to be about finding the best party destinations. Within the mountains of North Carolina, the Concordia Football crew made a difference while lifting up an LCMS camp that had been decimated by a hurricane responsible for at least 249 fatalities in the United States.
In the process of lending a hand, the service-minded Bulldogs grew closer together and closer in their faith. Within the cabin, they even huddled together to watch an online broadcast of national tournament games played by the men’s basketball team. Says Daberkow of the highlights of the week, “It was just spending time getting to know 15 of our guys in a deeper way. Coach Mac led a devotion every night and our guys were able to learn new skills. They were able to keep us busy and we were able to get a lot more done than originally expected.”
As Sassaman said. “We’re super appreciative of them for giving us the opportunity. You get to go to North Carolina, get fed every day and go hiking in the mountains. It’s super appealing. When you’re a college student, you want to make an impact and have a little fun at the same time.”
The following Bulldogs participated in the mission trip:
- Keith Bell
- Calvin Sassaman
- De'Vaughn Tolliver
- Mason Fortney
- Zach Downs
- Jesse Herndon
- Eli Grover
- Ace Edwards
- Ethan Walker
- Ethan Olson
- Joel Kaira
- Josh Ringler
- Tristan Ray
- Dusty Kapke
- Carter Skleba