A senior citizen at Westminster Village in Indianapolis, Sipole has been a Pacers fan since the ABA days. As a wish recipient, Sipole was rendered speechless the day his request was granted.

Hillman rolled a new, 27-inch flat screen TV into Sipole’s room, along with an assortment of Pacers gifts. A Reggie Miller cap was first placed on his head, since Miller is Sipole’s favorite player. Hillman then proceeded to present him with a Pacers blanket, mascot replicas, a Pacers t-shirt, a jersey, pom-poms, squeeze balls and a Pacers lamp.

Laughing heartily with his family and fellow-residents, Sipole radiated with delight from the special treatment.

At the request of Never Too Late, Hillman arranges such visits to satisfy wishes. The Never Too Late organization works to make moments like these a reality. To this date, 20 wishes have been fulfilled by the Pacers.

Never Too Late aims to grant senior citizens their last wishes. The Pacers often receive requests from longtime fans through this program.

“Some of our senior citizens have been supporting this franchise for all of the years it’s been around,” said Hillman, Pacers Director of Camps, Clinics and Alumni. “This is our way of giving back to the community. We do care, not just about our youth, but our senior citizens as well.”

The Never Too Late program strives to grant as many wishes as possible. Wish recipients often request to see someone from the Pacers, whether that be a current or former player.

“Because of the heavy schedules of the current players, I come in as a former player," Hillman said. "Sometimes the requests are very sudden depending on the illness of the individual. It varies depending on how much time they have. Sometimes I will visit someone, and within two to three weeks they will pass on.”

Hillman’s dedication to making these visits has been greatly appreciated by the Never Too Late program.

Director Bob Haverstick said, “Darnell has touched countless lives in the past four years - not only with wish recipients but their family members and care-givers as well.”

More than happy to impart great memories, the Pacers make visits throughout the state of Indiana.

“I think it’s important that we show senior citizens in Indiana that we think about them, and not just about the basketball game,” Hillman said.

Taking time to show the senior citizen community that the team cares, Haverstick can’t say enough about Hillman’s role in the process.

“Hillman has been invaluable to our organization from the beginning,” Haverstick said. “He’s magical with our wish recipients - he’s compassionate and caring and has Pacers credentials.”