—Reliant’s 7 th Annual Charity Competition Pitches Fast Balls to Football Stars for a Good Cause—
Fans filled Dr Pepper Ballpark today to cheer on 10 of their favorite
Dallas Cowboys as they stepped up to the plate in the seventh annual
Reliant Home Run Derby, an event both players and fans look forward to
each year. The Cowboys’ bats came alive and the team raised a total of
$50,000 for the Gene and Jerry Jones North Texas Youth Education Town of
The Salvation Army Arlington.
Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith was a powerhouse at the plate, named the
2018 Reliant Home Run Derby champion, hitting a total of 12 home runs
and raising $13,700. The Cowboys players were split into two teams
representing the offense and defense. Before a final bonus round that
doubled the donations, team offense raised $13,800 and team defense
raised $12,200.
Last year’s Home Run Derby also raised $50,000 for The Salvation Army,
and over the course of seven years the event has raised more than
$330,000 for various local charities.
“The Reliant Home Run Derby is such a fun and impactful way for us to
give back to the Dallas-Fort Worth community each year. We love joining
forces with the Dallas Cowboys to support this wonderful organization
that empowers young people to reach their full potential. This is just
one of the many ways we support the communities where we live and work,”
said Elizabeth Killinger, president, Reliant.
These Cowboys joined Coach Jason Garrett to put power behind the bat for
a good cause:
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Tyrone Crawford
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Ezekiel Elliott
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Travis Frederick
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Jeff Heath
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Byron Jones
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DeMarcus Lawrence
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Zack Martin
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Dak Prescott
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Jaylon Smith
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Tyron Smith
Rowdy, the Cowboys mascot, pumped up the crowd, and baseball players
from Frisco’s nine high schools helped shag balls in the outfield. The
National Anthem was performed by the Cowboys’ Rhythm & Blue Drumline
Squad. Also joining and participating in the special event were the
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and The Salvation Army’s mascot, Captain
Kettle.
“We love being able to partner with a great organization like Reliant
and help raise funds for local nonprofits. Bringing our players out to
show off their batting skills and entertaining the fans makes for a
great day,” said Charlotte Jones Anderson, executive vice president and
chief brand officer, Dallas Cowboys.
Giving Back across Dallas-Fort Worth
Reliant supports local communities through volunteerism, charitable
giving and partnerships with a variety of organizations. In 2017, over
$4 million was donated to different Reliant-sponsored causes with
employees giving more than 8,000 volunteer hours.
Before the Cowboys took the field, Reliant brought together local Dallas
media to show off their baseball skills and raise money for their
charity of choice. An additional $25,000 was raised for eight nonprofits
across the area. The lineup included:
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Courtenay Dehoff, KDAF-TV (CW) on behalf of Equest
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Pat Doney, KXAS-TV (NBC) on behalf of A Wish with Wings
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Marc Fein, KXAS-TV (NBC) on behalf of the Children’s Tumor Foundation
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Tristan Hallman, Dallas Morning News on behalf of UT Southwestern
Cancer Center
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Laila Muhammad, KDAF-TV (CW) on behalf of Dress for Success Dallas
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Shannon Murray, KDFW-TV (Fox) on behalf of Girls on the Run
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Kyle Roberts, WFAA-TV (ABC) on behalf of Cleaning for a Reason
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Alanna Sarabia, WFAA-TV (ABC) on behalf of The Love Pit Rescue
About Reliant, an NRG Company
Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity,
smart energy solutions, residential services and security to homes and
businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the
core of what we do. Reliant is part of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), a
Fortune 500 company that creates value through best-in-class operations
and reliable and efficient electric generation. Backed by a diverse
portfolio of power generating facilities, NRG’s retail companies,
including Reliant, power almost 3 million customers in 10 states and the
District of Columbia. NRG retail brands collectively are the largest
providers of electricity in Texas. For more information about Reliant,
please visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at
facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate
#10007.
