(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—Every Rapid City Rush game brings a sense of community. As a gathering place for thousands of South Dakotans and beyond from October to April, Rush games are a constant in our lives during hockey season.

From loyal season ticket holders who never miss a moment to the casual fans taking in Rush hockey for the first time, every crowd is different. Each game brings an opportunity for our community to connect.

The Badge Buddies program is nothing new for the Rush organization. First introduced in 2019, the program allows law enforcement officers the opportunity to bring local children to a Rush game, enjoy dinner beforehand, and get the VIP experience at The Monument Ice Arena.

For the 2025-26 season, the Rush teamed up with Texas Roadhouse to re-launch Badge Buddies. While there wasn’t much fanfare and the lucky kids may have blended into the crowd, the program brought participants out to the rink for a majority of the home series.

Helping lead the way are two people who share not only a name, but a passion for community service.

“When the Rush brought the idea to me, I was just like, ‘sign me up,’” said Jenn Ahrens, Local Store Marketer at Texas Roadhouse’s Rapid City location. “I wanted to be that person. I want to be that experience for those kids that may have never gotten to experience Texas Roadhouse on that level.”

She turned to Jenny Ness, a School Resource Officer at Piedmont Valley Elementary School, where Ahrens is a parent.

“It is an opportunity for law enforcement to have a positive, meaningful interaction with kids who might not otherwise have it,” explained Ness, who has been a Deputy with the Meade County Sheriff’s Department since 2021. “For Military Appreciation Night, I took a group of girls whose parents are either military or veterans. (The season finale) weekend, we have two groups of hockey players.”

A few dozen kids got to experience a hockey night over the course of the season, thanks to the generosity of all parties. Texas Roadhouse covers the cost of the pregame entrees and the Rush tickets are donated as well, not to mention the officers’ time and effort.

“I don’t really have a specific rhyme or reason for how I pick the kids, but I try and get groups who will all get along together,” Ness said. “One group of kids I took, two of the boys I had selected to go Christmas shopping, but they weren’t able to make it because they were sick. So, as a different treat with Deputy Ness, they got to come to a hockey game instead. It is an opportunity for me to hang out with them outside of the school setting and they can see that Deputy Ness is actually a real person, which is fun.”

Community relations is a cornerstone of the Rush organization. The Rush have been named a finalist for the ECHL’s Community Service Team of the Year Award in three of the last four years and took home the honor in 2022. Between players, coaches, and front office staff, the team completed over 800 volunteer hours and donated $165,000, while reaching more than 250 organizations throughout the 2025-26 season.

That community-oriented approach has made Texas Roadhouse an outstanding partner for Badge Buddies. Franchises across the country offer fundraising opportunities and have donated millions of meals.

“I am big into my schools. We do a lot of fundraising with schools in the area,” said Ahrens, who has been an ‘LSM’ for three-and-a-half years and with Texas Roadhouse for eight. “We do field days and teacher appreciation. We do events at the Box Event Center and downtown at Main Street Square.”

“We love to take our bread out to police and fire departments to show them our appreciation. There have been a few times where we have had fires close by and my Managing Partner has reached out to say, ‘Jenn, get some food ready and take it over to the fire department because they’re going to need it later.’ … People might look at me funny and say, ‘We didn’t order that’ when I walk in the door, but by the time I’m walking out the door, we’re laughing, we’re joking, we’re smiling, just having a good time.”

One quick Google search shows Ness has a lengthy history of giving back to her community, long predating her time as a deputy or an SRO. She sees her students every day and values any opportunity to impress on our youth a healthy relationship with law enforcement, in or out of uniform.

“The community service just comes from the way I was raised,” Ness said. “We went to church and our youth group really focused on community outreach. I served on the soccer board in Spearfish for a lot of years, and that community interaction has always been something that makes me feel good and benefits me just as much as it benefits anybody else. I really like to promote that within the Sheriff’s office, in our community in Piedmont, Black Hawk, and all over Meade County.”

“I really want the kids to know that police officers aren't scary and talking to them is just like talking to any of your teachers in the school or any adult person that you have in your life,” Ness continued. “Then that way, if we do have to be there for something that's not so great, they can trust us and they can know that we're there to help and we're going to be there for them. Not the other way around.”

With the partnership continuing in the fall and opportunities available for all 36 home games, anyone interested in more information is encouraged to reach out to Jake Eby at jeby@rapidcityrush.com.

“I would love to see two, three officers in here each game,” Ahrens said. “That is where I would really like to see this program. I would like to see two or three officers here with three or four kids and them all enjoying a good night. One, maybe one from each district, maybe one from Douglas, one from Meade County, and then one from Rapid City, and all different ages to be able to experience it.”