Tyrese Haliburton helped bring a long-dormant city event back to life Tuesday night, and the result was part fundraiser, part reunion, part summer showcase at Victory Field.
With a sold-out crowd on hand, Haliburton joined Pacers, Colts and Fever players for a charity softball game that hadn’t been held since 2018. The night supported the Pacers Foundation and Rick Carlisle’s “Drive & Dish” program, with the goal of raising money and awareness for youth food insecurity across Indiana.
The fundraising format was built right into the action. Every home run hit in the game added $99 to the Foundation, tickets were sold for $10 apiece, and the event also drew a major boost from the Irsay family, who pledged $100,000 to the Pacers Foundation if Haliburton reached base.
The Irsay family pledged $100,000 to the Pacers Foundation if Tyrese reached base - and Hali delivered 💙 pic.twitter.com/SuHyLJr0qJ
Haliburton’s side was loaded. He was joined by teammates Obi Toppin, Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell and Johnny Furphy, along with Colts players Tyler Warren, Cam Bynum and Jonathan Owens. Across the diamond, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones served as captain for a team that included Pacers players Aaron Nesmith, Jay Huff and Braden Smith, plus Colts players Ashton Dulin, Drew Ogletree and others.
Before the first pitch, Haliburton said the return of the event meant a lot.
"To bring (this event) back and bring something enjoyable back to the city, it's a lot of fun," Haliburton said before the game. " I'm really thankful for everybody that's here and everybody that's participating.
We're very thankful that the Pacers and Colts have a great relationship. Indy being known as such a great sports town, there's a lot of buzz in our city.
We understand what we do isn't possible without the people that support us."
He also admitted he hadn’t taken a swing in years and joked, "my team is either gonna be whack or nice, and I'm not sure which."
It turned out to be the latter.
Haliburton’s team rolled to a 28-6 win, with Obi Toppin launching two home runs and the gold-clad group shaking off an early hole after Daniel Jones took Haliburton deep in the first at-bat of the game.
Daniel Jones takes Haliburton deep in the first AB of the game pic.twitter.com/w5BIDoNAcX
Jay Huff also connected, just as Braden Smith had predicted before the game. Smith had named Huff as the teammate most likely to go yard, and he got it right.
Beyond the runs and the donations, the game doubled as an offseason checkpoint. With camp still about a month away, several players spoke about what’s ahead, and the tone was upbeat. Aaron Nesmith said the group is eager to get going.
"We're ready to play our basketball," said Aaron Nesmith. "We've got a lot of talent and want to just keep the scheme the same.
First unit, second unit. And just play our brand of ball."
Braden Smith talked about the value of the summer for his own growth and for being around the group. Jay Huff and TJ McConnell also spoke about their excitement as the offseason begins to wind down.
The setting matched the mood. The weather held up, the crowd showed out, and the evening featured Pat McAfee as emcee, with Mike Epps and Simone Biles also joining in.
Some members of the Indiana Fever were on the field as well. With the event drawing such a strong response, the hope is that it can become an annual staple again in Indianapolis.
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