Colts Stay Active off the Field
INDIANAPOLIS – After a big win against the Houston Texans on Sunday, several Colts players were out in the Indianapolis community helping with some very special projects on Tuesday as a part of the Colts Community Tuesday initiative.

USO ROOM AT NEW AIRPORT

The first project began to take shape a year ago when the Colts were approached by the USO (United Service Organizations) and Camp Atterbury to provide donations for some of their fundraising events. After talking further with each organization, the Colts learned about the USO room that was scheduled to be built at the new Indianapolis International Airport. Each year this room is used to welcome thousands of soldiers and provide them with a place to relax and enjoy some of the comforts of home while they are waiting for a flight or to be transported to Camp Atterbury.

The Colts offered to help outfit the new room and on Tuesday, November 18, they joined with representatives from the new airport, USO and Camp Atterbury for a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome military personnel to their new room. Colts OT’s Corey Hilliard and Michael Toudouze were also on hand, along with Colts mascot Blue, to present the USO with a special framed #1 Colts jersey featuring “USO” on the nameplate.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the soldiers and USO volunteers had the opportunity to tour the new room, which includes new furniture, flat screen TV’s, Colts memorabilia, a putting green, dart board, Colts Fathead® and more.

The Colts would like to offer special thanks to Fathead®, David Fischer of Furniture Origins, hhgregg and the NFL for their contributions to the new USO room.

SHOPPING TRIP AT MEIJER

Later that evening, the Colts continued the day’s outreach projects by teaming up with Meijer, the Official Supercenter of the Indianapolis Colts, to host a special Thanksgiving shopping event for ten mothers from the Coburn Place Safe Haven. Each mother received a $200 gift card, compliments of Meijer, to use for Thanksgiving groceries and other household items. In addition, the Pike Place Meijer store where the shopping trip took place, offered 10% off of their purchases to help the gift cards stretch even further.

While the ladies shopped, their children had the opportunity to enjoy some crafts, cookie decorating and coloring with Colts OG’s Mike Pollak and Jamey Richard. Colts and Meijer staff members, and volunteers from the Coburn Place were also on hand to help keep the youth busy while their mothers enjoyed some time to gather items for a Thanksgiving feast.

Coburn Place Safe Haven provides women and their children a chance to start anew, to finally accomplish a dream that an abusive partner and circumstances prevented. They provide safe, affordable housing with fully furnished apartments, as well as encouragement and supportive services necessary for self-sufficiency.

This shopping trip came just days after Meijer teamed up with the Colts to help “sack” hunger by hosting a pre-game food drive at Lucas Oil Stadium and offering a limited edition poster to fans who purchase a special $10 donation card at any of the nine (9) Central Indiana Meijer locations, while supplies last. All proceeds from the gameday collection and the in-store promotion will benefit Gleaners Food Bank and other area food pantries. For more information on how you can obtain a limited edition Colts SACKing Hunger poster, visit www.colts.com/sackinghunger.

For more information on all of the Colts community outreach initiatives this season, visit www.colts.com/community.