ARLINGTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Members of the Dallas Cowboys today shed their shoulder pads and started swinging for the fences, raising $50,000 for the Gene and Jerry Jones North Texas Youth Education Town of The Salvation Army Arlington in the fourth annual Home Run Derby sponsored by Reliant, an NRG company.
The event, now an annual favorite among Cowboys, encouraged team members to put as much power as they could behind each of their hits. For making contact with the ball, each player raised $100, but for hitting an event home run, they earned $500 for The Salvation Army. This year, J.J. Wilcox won the competition, raising $9,700. Close behind was Coach Jason Garrett, who raised $7,200.
“Reliant is stepping up to the plate to give back to the communities we serve, and we share this passion with our partners, the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers,” said Bill Clayton, Executive Director, NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. “The Salvation Army is an exceptional organization that answers the critical needs of the Dallas/Fort Worth area and communities across the country, and we’re happy to support it in this mission.”
Those at the Rangers’ Globe Life Park home plate included Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett, Brandon Carr, Barry Church, Tyrone Crawford, Jason Witten, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, J.J. Wilcox and Terrance Williams. Pitches were thrown by Texas Rangers Alumnus Kevin Mench. Cowboys’ rookies were also in attendance, lending their gloves to shag balls and interacting with The Salvation Army Youth Education Town kids in attendance.
“The Home Run Derby is an event we look forward to every year with the Cowboys organization. We’re so grateful to our partner Reliant for both their generosity towards the Youth Education Town – a place so dear to our hearts – as well as the opportunity for our players to have personal interaction with the children the YET serves. To see these great partners come together through such a fun and meaningful event is truly incredible,” said Charlotte Jones Anderson, Cowboys Executive Vice President/Chief Brand Officer.
Last year’s event raised $50,000 for The Salvation Army, and over the course of four years the event has raised more than $230,000 for The Salvation Army and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
About Reliant, an NRG Company
Reliant provides electricity, smart energy solutions and energy services to business and residential customers across Texas. Reliant is part of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), a Fortune 250 company that is at the forefront of changing how people think about, buy and use energy. Backed by a diverse portfolio of nearly 140 power generating facilities that can support millions of homes and businesses nationwide, NRG’s retail businesses, including Reliant, serve almost 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout the country. Collectively, NRG’s retail brands are the largest providers of electricity in Texas. For more information about Reliant products and services, please visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and on Twitter @reliantenergy.
