(From Business Wire) After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Dallas Cowboys aimed for the fences in the Reliant Home Run Derby benefiting The Salvation Army with thousands of fans cheering them on at Riders Field in Frisco. The ninth annual charity competition resulted in Reliant donating $135,000 to 22 nonprofit organizations, the largest amount in the event’s history.
“The Cowboys’ show-stopping performance helped make the return of the Reliant Home Run Derby even more special, and it’s amazing to reflect on the program’s collective impact as it reaches more than $715,000 in nonprofit donations,” said Andrea Russell, vice president, Reliant. “Now in our ninth year, we are thrilled to continue this fun tradition and give back to nonprofits that positively impact our North Texas communities.”
The Reliant Home Run Derby, which was free and open to the public, gave fans a chance to see some of their favorite players swing for the fences, raising a total of $81,000 for The Salvation Army. Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was named the 2022 Reliant Home Run Derby champion. The full Dallas Cowboys’ lineup included:
- Anthony Brown
- Trevon Diggs
- Ezekiel Elliott
- CeeDee Lamb
- Jourdan Lewis
- Zack Martin
- Micah Parsons
- Dak Prescott
- Leighton Vander Esch
Nearly 50 local students involved with The Salvation Army attended and one deserving youth 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, was joined by Reliant’s mascot Hugo to create a lively atmosphere. The national anthem was performed by The Salvation Army Band, while the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and The Salvation Army’s mascot, Captain Kettle, also joined the fun.
“A huge thanks to Reliant and Cowboys Nation for showing up in a big way this year, making the experience both rewarding and fun for our players to give back while interacting with fans,” said Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer, Dallas Cowboys. “Our players love a little friendly competition, especially for a good cause, and look forward to this event every year.”
A League of Their Own: Local Media Competes for a Good Cause
In addition to the Cowboys trying their hand on the diamond, Reliant also invited local media personalities to swap their mics for baseball bats in the sixth annual Reliant Home Run Derby Media League. The event raised nearly $44,000 for nonprofits of their choice. The lineup and their charities included:
- RJ Choppy, 105.3 FM The Fan supporting Youth on Course
- Pat Doney, KXAS-TV (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
- Erik Mora, KXTX-TV (Telemundo) supporting Isla Urbana
- Shannon Murray, KDFW-TV (FOX) supporting Girls on the Run DFW
- Brittany Rainey, KTVT-TV (CBS) supporting Street Dog Project
- Kyle Roberts, WFAA-TV (ABC) supporting McKinney Little Free Pantry
- Rick Rogers, Star Local Media supporting The Salvation Army
- Ben Swanger, D CEO Magazine supporting Pasos for Oak Cliff
- Kyle Youmans, Dallas Cowboys supporting The Sandlot Children's Charity
Reliant supports local communities through volunteerism, charitable giving, and partnerships with a variety of organizations. In 2021, over $5.5 million was donated by Reliant to causes across Texas, with employees giving more than 4,000 volunteer hours to over 150 community programs.
Dennis Houston (3) and James Empey sign autographs for fans attending Tuesday night's Reliant Home Run Derby benefiting The Salvation Army at Riders Field.
Dallas Cowboys' Aaron Hansford signs a Zeke Elliott jersey for a fan during Tuesday night's Reliant Home Run Derby benefiting The Salvation Army.
The 2022 version of the Reliant Home Run Derby for The Salvation Army not only drew the Dallas Cowboys on the field, but a large crowd in the stands.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott cheers on his teammates from the dugout alongside Zack Martin, Jourdan Lewis and Leighton Vander Esch.
Zeke Elliott, Dallas Cowboys running back, is all smiles after taking his swings.
Dak Prescott and Trevon Diggs talk in the dugout.
Fans swarm the entrance to get their seats, as the Reliant Home Run Derby for The Salvation Army was a free event to attend Tuesday at Riders Field.
You can't have a football event at a baseball stadium without dancing dudes in football costumes, and that's exactly who greeted fans as they entered Riders Field.
The Dallas Cowboys Drumline was in attendance in the concourse Tuesday.
Deuce, the Frisco Roughriders mascot, greets fans as they enter.
As featured on
"Just hit the ball." Just hit the ball."Just... hit... the... ball."
Those four words were ringing in my head as my name was called to take my at-bat in the Reliant Home Run Derby Media League for The Salvation Army event Tuesday evening at Riders Field in Frisco. The pressure was on, and the funny thing was, there were only a few dozens fans in the stands — mostly friends and family of the 11 members of the local media scene taking part in the warm-up event before the gates opened and the fans rushed in for the main event — watching their favorite Dallas Cowboys swing the bat and hit home run for a good cause — raising money for The Salvation Army — through the Reliant charity event.
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