Both youth and adults will have the opportunity to be inspired and encouraged by having breakfast with champions next week. Locals will be enjoying the annual Rotary Club and YMCA Prayer breakfasts.

Rotary breakfast

Denzel Washington played him in “Remember the Titans,” and on Tuesday, he and one of his players will be in Newberry.

Coach Herman Boone and Ronald Edwin “Sunshine” Bass will be speaking at Tuesday’s annual Newberry Rotary breakfast.

The 7 a.m. breakfast held at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is known as the start to the holiday season to many and costs $7 a person.

Also during the breakfast, Rotary’s Layperson of the Year will be named and the Mid-Carolina Chorus will perform.

But the morning’s focus will be the address given by Boone and Bass.

“This is a big deal,” said Rotary member Joe Trainor, citing Boone’s impressive resume.

Boone grew up in Rocky Mount, N.C. and coached one year at Foster High School in Virginia where he had a 26-6 record and won the district championship.

He then was a coach at E.J. Hayes High School in North Carolina where he had a 99-8 record. But in 1969, Boone was fired over his skin color.

In 1971, he was hired at the newly integrated T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. as head coach, beating long-time coach Bill Yoast for the job.

Also at the event will be Bass, who started his sophomore year at defensive back and was a back-up quarterback at Marina High before settling in as quarterback at T.C. Williams.

While at T.C., he picked up the infamous nickname “Sunshine.”

Bass started two years for the T.C. Williams’ Titans and helped the school go on to win the Virginia AAA State High School Championship in 1971 as a junior.

The Titans finished 13-0 and their success helped bring an entire community together under the leadership of Coach Herman Boone and Coach Bill Yoast and inspired the movie “Remember the Titans.”

During his senior year, Bass’ Titans finished a disappointing 9-2 and just missed defending their state title in the playoffs.

Bass went on to the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship and lettered all four years.

Bass was picked as Sports Illustrated’s Player of the Week during his sophomore season after gaining 211 yards rushing against the University of North Carolina. The Gamecocks were 14-point underdogs going into the game since it was to be Bass’ first start as a college quarterback. The Gamecocks ended up winning the game 32-14 and that game continues to be one of his fondest memories from his college playing days.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the door on Tuesday morning, or reserved by calling Stokes-Trainor at 276-8888 or through any rotary member.

YMCA Prayer Breakfast

Middle and high school students are invited to next week’s prayer breakfasts sponsored by the YMCA.

The YMCA’s 18th annual series of prayer breakfasts will be at the Newberry College dining hall starting Monday.

The serving line will open at 6:30 a.m. with speakers set to begin at 7 a.m. The event will be over no later than 7:30 a.m. and the YMCA will provide bus transportation to local schools at the end of each breakfast.

The schedule is: Monday, Newberry College Head Football Coach Todd Knight; Tuesday, University of South Carolina Men’s Basketball Chaplain Jack Esterby; Wednesday, Newberry College Chaplain Ernie Worman; Thursday, Newberry College’s Men’s Golf Coach Brian McCants; Friday, Newberry College Men’s Basketball Coach Steve Demeo.

The breakfast is coordinated by the YMCA and sponsored by local service clubs, financial institutions and churches.

The breakfast is geared for middle and high school students, but the entire community is welcome to attend.

The cost for students to attend is $8 for the entire week, or $3 a day. Adult tickets can be purchased for $15 for the week or $4 per day. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door.