Every so often, the Pacers Foundation gifts us an opportunity to give our kids an unforgettable moment. Our recent trip with a group of Residential kids to an Indiana Fever playoff game was one of those moments—full of joy, connection, and the quiet power of giving children access to experiences they’ve never had before.

As soon as we parked the van and made our way to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, you could feel the energy level rise.  Playoff games (no matter what sport), seem to give off an electric feel, and this one was no different.   As soon as we made our way into the concourse, we could hear some music guaranteed to get you up and dancing.  The thrones of fans wearing red quickly surrounded us as we made our way to our seats.  Waiting on our seats were free red t-shirts to promote the arena wide “red out” for the must win game.

During warmups the kids put their red shirts on over their t-shirts and settled in for the game.  Although there was no Caitlin Clark, we did see Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and a host of other Fever players lock in to win the game and send the series back to Vegas.  We cheered, applauded, and even booed (ok it was mainly me booing a few questionable calls). As the Fever picked up momentum, so did the kids. The excitement is contagious, and before long they were on their feet, yelling, cheering, and completely forgetting their sacred vow of teen coolness.