During halftime of the Colts' Salute to Service game on Sunday, the Colts partnered with Central Indiana Toyota Dealers to surprise a military veteran with a new Toyota 4Runner.
Scott Eidson, a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant (E7), and his family – including his seven children – were all present on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, originally believing Eidson was simply being recognized for his service.
Eidson retired from the Air Force in 2020 after 22 years of service, and moved his family from Germany to Indiana. At that time, the Eidson family consisted of Scott, his wife Shannon and their five biological children. In 2021, the Eidsons welcomed two new members into their family as they fostered and eventually adopted two young Indiana boys.
The family moved around quite a bit during Eidson's time in the Air Force, but once they settled in Indiana they found their "forever home." But tragedy struck on October 6 when their beloved home was destroyed in a fire. Thankfully, no one was in the home at the time of the fire, but the home was labeled as a complete loss; many of the clothes, pictures, heirlooms and other treasured family possessions inside the home were gone.
Since then, Scott has been able to call on the resilience he learned while in the military, and the entire Eidson family has remained strong in their faith, trusting that things would work out and beauty could come from the tragedy they suffered.
Their community stepped up as well, with family and friends posting fundraisers and raising awareness to help the Eidsons in any way possible. And that's when the Colts, along with Toyota and INVets – a nonprofit organization in Indiana that helps former service members and their families transition to all aspects of civilian life – came in.
So, as the entire Eidson family stood on the field at halftime during the Colts' Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans, they thought they were just being recognized for their service and sacrifice. Scott appeared on the video board, explaining his military history and his family's circumstances – and he emphasized the importance of faith and believing good things are yet to come.
"We have no idea what's happening next," he said.
And he certainly wasn't expecting to turn around and see a brand new car behind him.
Hugs, handshakes and smiles followed the surprise, as Scott and his family were left speechless at the surprise. It wasn't just a car – it was reassurance that their sacrifices, faith and resilience had been, and would continue to be, recognized and rewarded.
