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Pacers, Pat McAfee Team Up for Heartwarming New Venture

Matt Levine

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Indiana Pacers and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee have teamed up on a new heartwarming venture. After a terrible fire broke out at a resource center for veterans last October, McAfee pledged that he would match donations up to $250,000 on a GoFundMe to help anyone who was displaced.

The Pacers have decided to team up with McAfee on this venture and announced that they would be doing the same. They announced on social media that the proceeds from the Pacers Foundation's 50/50 raffle in their recent game against the Orlando Magic would go towards helping.

"we're teaming up with Pat McAfee, who is matching donations up to $250,000, to support local veterans who were recently displaced by a fire in downtown Indianapolis. proceeds from the Pacers Foundation’s 50/50 raffle at tonight's game against the Magic will benefit Helping Veterans And Families (HVAF) of Indiana to support those in need"

This is an incredible gesture by both McAffe and the Pacers organization. They both have given back to the communities and it's always great to see things like this take place after tragic events happen.

McAfee is an extremely popular figure all over the country but his love for the local community in Indianapolis has continued since his playing days. These types of gestures reflect the kind of person he is and that's why the city has embraced him.

The CEO of Helping Veterans and Families or HVAF, Emmy Hildebrand, said that all veterans were accounted for in the fire but that it could take some time for everything to be repaired.

“We are really fortunate that all 48 veterans made it out safely with only those three minor injuries, but everyone is fine, and that’s a miracle,” Hildebrand said.

Efforts such as the ones from McAfee and the Pacers don't go unnoticed around the communities.

“We’re really relying on our community to rally around us and make sure that the veterans are taken care of and that our agency continues to be a resource and a beacon of hope for veterans who need it,” Hildebrand said.

As for the Pacers, they are in the midst of a 4-4 start to the new NBA season. Indiana hasn't played very consistently and they've struggled to rekindle the magic from their run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago.

They will have another chance when they take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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