On Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis, as part of Pacers Cares Season of Giving, Indiana Pacers players and coaches dropped in on two local children's hospitals to pay a visit and brighten the days of a few of Indy's youngest Pacers fans.
At the Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in downtown Indianapolis, Myles Turner, Glenn Robinson III, Chase Budinger, and assistant coach Dan Burke stopped by to play some games with the kids. Myles Turner, the rookie of the bunch, showed he was still very much in touch with his inner-child as he broke it down playing a dance video game with some of the kids. Meanwhile, Robinson III was taking on challengers on the air hockey table.
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On the northside of town, Lavoy Allen, Solomon Hill, and assistant coach Popeye Jones paid a visit to the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, with special guest Freddy Fever spreading some cheer as well. At both hospitals, there was pizza generously provided by Papa John's.
"Just seeing the kids and being able to put a smile on their faces," said Allen of the most rewarding part of the trip.
Aside from getting to meet the Pacers players, the children were also given a T shirt, mini-baketball hoop, and a Freddy Fever stuffed animal. Some of them even challenged Hill and Allen to an arcade style free throw machine that the hospital has in its game room.
"It's always great to give back to the people that show up every day to our games to support us whether we're winning or losing," Hill explained. "It's great, to put smiles on their face and bring some brightness to their day, especially in times likes this."
Assistant coach Popeye Jones, who has three kids of his own, said that he enjoys doing events such as the children's hospital visit because it allows him to interact with fans off of the court.
"As a parent, having three boys, you kind of feel what they're going through when their kids aren't healthy," Jones said.
After a few hours, it was time for most of the kids to return to their rooms, hopefully on their way to a speedy recovery.