Reliant Home Run Derby with Dallas Cowboys Awards $113,000 to North Texas Nonprofits

Published 2 years ago via Business Wire

— Tenth annual charity competition benefiting The Salvation Army surpasses more than $838K in total community impact —

The Dallas Cowboys traded footballs for baseballs as they stepped up to the plate for the 10th annual Reliant Home Run Derby, benefiting The Salvation Army. Thousands of fans packed into Riders Field in Frisco to root for the Cowboys as they tested their athletic skills on a different kind of field. Through the charity competition, Reliant donated $113,000 to 23 nonprofit organizations.

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The Dallas Cowboys join electricity provider Reliant to present $86,500 to The Salvation Army at the 10th annual Reliant Home Run Derby on Wednesday, May 3 in Frisco, Texas. Thousands of fans cheered on the Cowboys as they traded footballs for baseballs to raise money for charity. (Brandon Wade/AP Images for Reliant)

The Dallas Cowboys join electricity provider Reliant to present $86,500 to The Salvation Army at the 10th annual Reliant Home Run Derby on Wednesday, May 3 in Frisco, Texas. Thousands of fans cheered on the Cowboys as they traded footballs for baseballs to raise money for charity. (Brandon Wade/AP Images for Reliant)

“The Reliant Home Run Derby brings Cowboys Nation together, combining charity and community to create a unique event that’s fun for the whole family,” said Andrea Russell, vice president, Reliant. “While most people know Reliant as an electricity provider, we also care deeply about our community and are committed to making a positive impact. Now in our tenth year, we are honored to once again team up with the Dallas Cowboys to support outstanding North Texas nonprofits.”

The event gave fans a chance to see some of their favorite Cowboys players take their turn at bat, raising a total of $86,500 for The Salvation Army. Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was named the 2023 Reliant Home Run Derby champion for the second consecutive year. The full Dallas Cowboys lineup included:

  • Brandin Cooks
  • Trevon Diggs
  • Jake Ferguson
  • Stephon Gilmore
  • CeeDee Lamb
  • Zack Martin
  • Osa Odighizuwa
  • Micah Parsons
  • Dak Prescott
  • Leighton Vander Esch

Nearly 50 local students involved with The Salvation Army attended, and one deserving student from the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Youth Education Town earned the opportunity to throw out the first pitch to a Cowboys player. Rowdy, the Cowboys’ mascot, and Shieldy, The Salvation Army’s mascot, joined Reliant’s mascot, Hugo, to create a lively atmosphere. The national anthem was performed by The Salvation Army Band, while the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Chowboyz, and Rhythm & Blues also joined in the fun.

“For 10 years, the Dallas Cowboys and Reliant have come together to raise money for a good cause, while having fun and entertaining Cowboys fans at the same time,” said Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer, Dallas Cowboys. “We’re grateful to our fans, players, and Reliant for making this amazing event bigger and better year after year.”

Reliant Media League

In addition to the Cowboys’ showstopping performance, Reliant invited local media to try their hand at bat in the annual Reliant Home Run Derby Media League. The event raised $17,100 for nonprofits of their choice. The lineup and their charities included:

  • Bri Amaranthus, Sports Illustrated supporting Tango Charities Feed the City
  • Pat Doney, KXAS (NBC) supporting Team Hoyt Texas
  • Tom Gribble, KSCS New Country 96.3 supporting American Diabetes Association
  • Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star-Telegram supporting See It Through Charities
  • Mark “Hawkeye” Louis, KSCS New Country 96.3 supporting Cook Children's Hospital
  • Erik Mora, KXTX (Telemundo) supporting Isla Urbana
  • Shannon Murray, KDFW (FOX) supporting Girls on the Run DFW
  • Brittany Rainey, KTVT (CBS) supporting Saving Hope Animal Rescue
  • Kyle Roberts, WFAA (ABC) supporting ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship
  • Rick Rogers, Star Local Media supporting Refresh Frisco
  • Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com supporting American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Steve Noviello, KDFW (FOX) supporting Grant Halliburton Foundation served as the emcee of the Media League event.

Reliant supports local communities through volunteerism, charitable giving, and collaboration with a variety of organizations. In 2022, Reliant donated $4 million to causes across Texas, with employees giving more than 4,000 volunteer hours to over 200 community programs.

About Reliant, an NRG Company

Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity and related services to homes and businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the core of what we do, and the company is recognized nationally for outstanding customer experience. Reliant is part of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company that creates value by generating electricity and providing energy solutions to nearly 6 million residential, small business and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada. NRG’s competitive residential electricity business, which includes Reliant, is one of the largest in the country. For more information about Reliant, visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007.

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