Pacers and NBA Cares Celebrate Hoops for Troops

NBA Cares Hoops for Troops is a year-round initiative led by the NBA, its teams and players in collaboration with the Department of Defense, USO, TAPS and other military and veteran-serving organizations to honor active and retired service members and their families.

This season, the NBA and the Department of Defense will continue recognizing members of the military and working side by side to positively impact communities.

The Indiana Pacers and Yuengling have teamed up to recognize and serve alongside these heroes through the following programs & events: Hoops for Troops Night; Commitment to Service Day; Indy Honor Flight Breakfast; Hoops for Troops Practice; Seats for Soldiers and Sideline Soldiers presented by The RoomPlace. Specific details on these initiatives are as follows:

12:30 – 2:30 PM
Gleaners Food Bank
3737 Waldemere Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46241

Volunteers from Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the USO of Indiana will participate in the Gleaners Food Bank BackSacks Program as part of the Commitment to Service Day. Hunger is a real and present danger to children across America, especially right here in Indiana. A recent report estimates that one in five Hoosier children do not have enough to eat to be healthy. Teachers know this is true, as some of their students come to school on Monday morning too hungry to learn. These are the children who miss too much school, hoard food, and rely on their school's breakfast and lunch to feed them throughout the week. It's a big problem, and it calls for a major response.

Gleaners BackSacks Program provides a supply of healthy food to young children each Friday that is perfect for the weekend:

For the 2018-19 school year, 7,500 + kids will be served weekly in more than 240 schools and 21 Indiana counties.

Special Guests: Pacers Legend Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman
Indiana Pacemates
Staff from Pacers Sports & Entertainment
Members of USO of Indiana

As part of Hoops for Troops Night on Nov. 7 vs. Philadelphia at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers will recognize and celebrate our military personnel.

(1) Sideline Soldiers presented by The Roomplace
a. Representatives from the USO of Indiana will participate in a pregame meet & greet with Pacers forward Thad Young, and will be treated to complimentary dinner in the Lightbound Courtside Club.

(2) Kroger High Five Club
b. Children from military families will greet the Pacers team as they come onto the court for pregame warm-ups.

(3) Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent
c. Children from military families will receive Pacers Teddy Bears from a member of the Pacers team after the National Anthem.

(4) Honorary Scorer
d. A representative from USO of Indiana will serve as our Honorary Scorer at that night's game, handing the NBA Referees the official game ball.

(5) Hoops for Troops T-Shirt Toss
e. Members of the Sideline Soldiers will toss out Hoops for Troops T-shirts to the crowd during a designated time-out.

(6) Honorary Team Captain
f. A representative from USO of Indiana will join Boomer in bringing out the Pacers team for pregame warm-ups, carrying both the U.S. Flag and the Pacers Flag, respectively.

(7) Boomer In-game Dunk Show
g. Representative from the Indiana National Guard will join Boomer and the Pacers Power Pack for our 4th Quarter Boomer Dunk Show.

(8) Blind Auction to benefit USO of Indiana
h. Fans will have the opportunity to bid on a Canvas Print featuring each member of the 2018-19 Pacers team, with all proceeds to benefit USO of Indiana.

(9) Indy Honor Flight Recognition
i. WWII and Korean War Veterans who have recently taken part in an Honor Flight to Washington DC will be recognized at halftime. In addition, prior to the game, veterans will receive dinner at a local steakhouse and then parade over to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the in-game festivities.

(10) Hoops for Troops Parachute Drop
j. During a designated timeout, the Hoops for Troops Parachute Drop will take place, with items including Hoops for Troops Tshirts and Camo Bammies dropping for fans!

9:00 – 11:00 AM
Woodland Terrace of New Palestine
4400 Terrace Drive
New Palestine, IN 46163

Basketball Hall of Famer & Pacers Legend George McGinnis, along with the Indiana Pacemates, Boomer and volunteers from Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Yuengling, will partner with Indy Honor Flight to provide and serve breakfast to veterans at Woodland Terrace of New Palestine. In addition, each veteran in attendance will receive a Pacers Swag Bag filled with items from the Indiana Pacers and Yuengling.

Indy Honor Flight transports WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans to see their memorials in Washington, D.C. For free! Indy Honor Flight is a non-profit organization crated solely to honor Indiana's veterans for their service and sacrifice. Top priority is given to the oldest veterans. Our goal is to get the most senior veterans to visit the memorials built for them before it is too late. We also give priority to terminally ill veterans.

Special Guests: Pacers Legend Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman
Basketball Hall of Famer George McGinnis
Boomer
Indiana Pacemates
Staff from Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Yuengling

11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
St. Vincent Center

50 Military Men & Women from the USO of Indiana will have the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at a Pacers practice. Prior to practice, guests will be treated to special meal courtesy of Levy Restaurants in the Lightbound Courtside Club followed by a viewing of practice at the St. Vincent Center, along with a post-practice meet & greet with the Pacers team and coaching staff.
Each guest will receive a commemorative goodie bag that includes a Pacers Challenge Coin, Hoops for Troops t-shirt and tickets to an upcoming game.

Special Guests: 50 Military Men & Women of USO of Indiana
Indiana Pacers Team & Coaches

As continuation of our Hoops for Troops Week celebration, our military men and women will be participating in the following in-game activations at the Pacers vs. Miami game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, Nov. 16:

(1) Sideline Soldiers presented by The Roomplace
a. Representatives from the USO of Indiana will take place in a pregame meet & greet with Pacers Player Thad Young, and will be treated to complimentary dinner in the Lightbound Courtside Club.

(2) Kroger High Five Club
a. Children from military families will greet the Pacers team as they come onto the court for pregame warm-ups.

(3) Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent
a. Children from military families will receive Pacers Teddy Bears from a member of the Pacers team after the National Anthem.

(4) Honorary Scorer
a. A representative from USO of Indiana will serve as our Honorary Scorer at that night's game, handing the NBA Referees the official game ball.

(5) Hoops for Troops T-Shirt Toss
a. Members of the Sideline Soldiers will toss out Hoops for Troops T-shirts to the crowd during a designated time-out.

(6) Honorary Team Captain
a. A representative from USO of Indiana will join Boomer in bringing out the Pacers team for pregame warm-ups, carrying both the US Flag and the Pacers Flag, respectively.

(7) Boomer In-game Dunk Show
a. Representative from the Indiana National Guard will join Boomer and the Pacers Power Pack for our 4th Quarter Boomer Dunk Show.

(8) Seats for Soldiers
a. 250 Soldiers from area military organizations will receive tickets, complimentary of Yuengling, for tonight's game.

(9) Hoops for Troops Suite
a. Representatives from area military organizations will be in attendance to enjoy the game from a Suite, courtesy of Yuengling.

(10) Hoops for Troops Parachute Drop
a. During a designated timeout, the Hoops for Troops Parachute Drop will take place, with items including Hoops for Troops Tshirts and Camo Bammies dropping for fans!

As continuation of our Hoops for Troops Week celebration, our military men and women will be participating in the following in-game activations at the Pacers vs. Hawks game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 17.

(1) Sideline Soldiers presented by The Roomplace
a. Representatives from the USO of Indiana will take place in a pregame meet & greet with Pacers Player Thad Young, and will be treated to complimentary dinner in the Lightbound Courtside Club.

(2) Kroger High Five Club
b. Children from military families will greet the Pacers team as they come onto the court for pregame warm-ups.

(3) Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent
b. Children from military families will receive Pacers Teddy Bears from a member of the Pacers team after the National Anthem.

(4) Honorary Scorer
b. A representative from USO of Indiana will serve as our Honorary Scorer at that night's game, handing the NBA Referees the official game ball.

(5) Hoops for Troops T-Shirt Toss
b. Members of the Sideline Soldiers will toss out Hoops for Troops T-shirts to the crowd during a designated time-out.

(6) Honorary Team Captain
b. A representative from USO of Indiana will join Boomer in bringing out the Pacers team for pregame warm-ups, carrying both the US Flag and the Pacers Flag, respectively.

(7) Boomer In-game Dunk Show
b. Representative from the Indiana National Guard will join Boomer and the Pacers Power Pack for our 4th Quarter Boomer Dunk Show.

(8) Seats for Soldiers
b. 250 Soldiers from area military organizations will receive tickets, complimentary of Yuengling, for tonight's game.

(9) St. Elmo's Shrimp Eating Contest
a. Representatives from the USO of Indiana will participate in the St. Elmo's Shrimp Eating Contest.

To honor the valiant soldiers serving our country, the Pacers and The RoomPlace have teamed up to present Sideline Soldiers at select Pacers home games.

This program allows military personnel and their families to serve as VIP guests at the game and be recognized for their selfless acts in protecting our country. Each Sideline Soldier and their family participates in a pregame meet & greet with Pacers forward Thad Young, receives lower level seats for that night's game and is treated to a complimentary meal in the Lightbound Courtside Club, courtesy of Levy Restaurants.