Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Uses NBA Finals Platform to Raise Awareness for Food Insecurity in Indiana

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is using his NBA Finals platform to raise awareness for food insecurity in Indiana, a cause he believes is crucial.

To draw attention to the issue, Carlisle often wears a QR code on his shirt that directs interested scanners to the Drive & Dish initiative's website. This charity, founded by Carlisle about two years ago, aims to combat food insecurity across Indiana.

Since its inception, the program has raised over $1 million, with the Pacers and Carlisle making additional donations. In its first year, Drive & Dish served more than 1,000 households and distributed over 250,000 pounds of food.

"Each year we've been able to help more people," Carlisle said. "People in Indiana should never have to deal with food insecurity. There's plenty of food in Indiana. The challenge is logistics. So, this charity helps with logistics."

The program has partnered with Spokenote to provide the technology behind the scannable code and collaborated on the first scannable code on a jersey in the four U.S. major pro sports leagues.

Another key partner is the Gleaners food bank, which works with Drive & Dish to provide fresh produce, eggs, and more to families in need. Carlisle notes that when the program started, around 1 million people in Indiana were considered food insecure – unsure where their next meal was coming from.

The Pacers plan to continue supporting the program's growth across the state over the next decade.

"It's been a great effort," Carlisle said. "I've got some really great people that are supporting it. I'm very grateful."