Latest news with #Indy500FestivalParade
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why former KU Jayhawks, NBA forward Scot Pollard was grand marshal at Indy 500
Former University of Kansas forward Scot Pollard served as grand marshal for the Indy 500 Festival Parade on Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 6-foot-11, 260-pound, 50-year-old Pollard, who has lived in Carmel, Indiana the past several years, rode during the parade in a float with his own family members as well as the family of the late Casey Angell. Pollard, the former KU and NBA basketball star, received a life-saving heart transplant — the heart of Angell — in February 2024. Upon Angell's death in a Texas hospital, family members approved sending his heart to Pollard, who was bedridden in a hospital in Tennessee at the time, suffering from heart failure triggered by a virus. Pollard and Angell's family members were to watch the Indy 500 Sunday in a suite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Pollards and Angells have become friends since they met several months ago. Pollard and his wife, Dawn, have dedicated themselves to raising awareness of organ donation through Dawn's charity, 'Pearls of Life.' The charity is named in honor of Scot's dad, Pearl, who died at the age of 54 because of heart problems. The Pollards spent the weekend spreading the word about organ donation at the prestigious Indy car race. 'When it comes to charity, the bigger the audience you can get, the better,' Pollard told reporter Mark Ambrogi of 'I'm using my former notoriety as a basketball player (at KU from 1994-97 and 11 years in the NBA) to help out my wife Dawn's charity, Pearls of Life. We've always used my former profession as a lantern to whatever charity we go to.' Pearls of Life according to the organization's Facebook page, 'was created to advocate for organ donations, educate the community and support families who are going through the organ transplant or donation process. We believe in the power of community and the impact of compassion.' As main spokesperson for the organization, Pollard recently was featured speaker at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation in Boston. He received a standing ovation from a convention center full of doctors, including his own heart transplant surgeon. While in Boston he attended a Celtics playoff game and was accorded another loud ovation by the fans. He was a member of the Celtics' 2008 NBA title team. An E60 documentary on Pollard's heart transplant is set to be released on Father's Day (June 15). 'The ESPN documentary is going to help a ton, because that is going worldwide because of Uncle Mickey — Disney,' Pollard told referring to ESPN's Disney ties. 'The goal is to spread the word as much as we can, and I think that's why (500 Festival CEO) Bob Bryant and the board at Indy 500 Festival recognized those efforts and gave me the title of grand marshal for the 500 Festival. It's just a huge honor.' Pollard told he has been healthy enough to coach his youngest son, Icean, 9, in basketball this year and watch his son, Ozzy, a defensive lineman, play football at Carmel High School. Ozzy will play college football at Marian University in Indy in the fall. 'Day to day, I'm not very dependable, so I'm not going to go back to work,' Pollard said. 'But if I know I have one thing going, like a basketball practice I'm coaching or a basketball game, I can rest up. 'Most days are better than not. If I do too much, I feel it and I'm definitely back on the couch for a couple of days. I'm well aware I have to walk that line for the rest of my life. 'My body just works differently now,' he said. 'It doesn't adjust, but compared to heart failure, this is a lot better.'
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
NBA champ, 'Survivor' contestant Scot Pollard shares Indy 500 parade float with heart donor's family
Scot Pollard was standing in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and trying not to cry. The NBA champion and 'Survivor' contestant was talking about meeting the family of Casey Angell, whose heart was now beating inside Pollard's chest. Angell's sister brought a stethoscope. 'She touched my chest. She listened and she started crying. She said, 'Hey, Bubba,' because that's what she used to call him,' Pollard said. 'And we all lost it. And I'm losing it right now.' A first-round draft pick who took Kansas to the NCAA Sweet 16 four years in a row and won it all with the 2008 Boston Celtics, Pollard was virtually bedridden by 2024, unable to walk around the block or even conduct an interview without needing a rest because of a virus that had weakened his heart. Since receiving the life-saving transplant last winter, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness of organ donation, a mission that earned him the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the Indy 500 Festival Parade on Saturday. Angell's family rode along on the float with him. 'Any time we get to see them and be around them is a great moment,' Pollard said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. 'But also just to be able to share this experience of being grand marshal with them, and be part of their lives.' At 6-foot-11 and a playing weight of 260 pounds, Pollard inherited his size from his father along with a genetic heart condition that doctors say was triggered by a virus that left him no other choice but a transplant. The problem would be finding a donor organ big enough to pump blood throughout his NBA center-sized body. Six hundred miles away, in East Texas, Angell was on life support with pneumonia brought on by a respiratory illness. 'We made the decision that we were letting go, and they came to us within about 30 minutes and asked about donation,' said Megan Tyra, who works as an administrator at the hospital where her brother died. 'We saw the heart leave, going out the door, and all we were told was that it was headed to Tennessee.' To protect everyone's privacy, organ recipients can only learn about their donors – and vice versa – through a system that requires both sides to agree. Pollard was told that most people don't hear back, but he wrote a note anyway. Angell's family responded. (In addition to his heart, Casey Angell's corneas and his kidneys were donated. The family was told the other recipients were two 17-year-olds and a 48- and a 49-year-old; they have not heard from any of the other recipients.) 'Casey was a nosy dude. He always wanted to be in the know,' Tyra said with a laugh. 'And so when we got that first letter from Scot, … we were grateful that Scot wanted to know about Casey. Him and (his wife) Dawn have been so sweet and kind, (saying) 'You're part of our family now.'' They set up a meeting in Texas this March. Tyra was there with her husband, Clint; Angell's wife, Pam; and her son William, who is now 13. Pollard brought his family — and cameras to record the event for a TV documentary. 'To say the least, it was a tad bit overwhelming,' Tyra said in a telephone interview this week from Indianapolis. 'We never did this for anything other than who Casey was, a helper, a guy who would help anyone do anything. So it's a little bit surreal, a little bit overwhelming. But (Scot) and Dawn make it easy.' Pollard, who turned 50 in February a few days after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the new heart, said that since receiving the transplant he has suffered from survivor's guilt — the doubt that he was worthy of such a gift: 'It's a challenge, because I've got to live right. There's a face, and I know what he looks like and I know who he was, and the family. And so there's that pressure.' Angell's family, he said, helped save him twice. 'There were a lot of days I was crying like, 'I don't know if I deserve this,'' Pollard said. 'And then when they responded, and I got to know them, and I learned a lot more about Casey, it definitely helped. He has helped a whole lot with the healing. Not just emotionally, obviously.' Pollard is hoping the documentary and the other media attention he brings as a former pro athlete will persuade people to consider organ donation. Last month, he spoke at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and received a standing ovation from a convention center full of doctors, including his own; that night, he attended a Celtics playoff game and got another big cheer when he received a shoutout on the scoreboard. Pollard, who spent two of his 11 NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers and settled near Indianapolis, was booked for a breakfast with the governor as part of the Indy 500 festivities this weekend along with some other meet-and-greets. He will watch the race — known as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing — on Sunday in a suite with Angell's family. 'We're excited about the fact that we're honoring Casey, and who Casey was. So it's all about Casey, and the sacrifice Casey made,' Tyra said. 'We're grateful that Scot wanted us to meet, and wants us to be a part of this and that he's doing so much for organ donation. It's amazing. 'You know, we never thought our little smalltown selves would be here for the Indy 500," she said. 'But here we are.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA champ, 'Survivor' contestant Scot Pollard shares Indy 500 parade float with heart donor's family
Scot Pollard was standing in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and trying not to cry. The NBA champion and 'Survivor' contestant was talking about meeting the family of Casey Angell, whose heart was now beating inside Pollard's chest. Angell's sister brought a stethoscope. 'She touched my chest. She listened and she started crying. She said, 'Hey, Bubba,' because that's what she used to call him,' Pollard said. 'And we all lost it. And I'm losing it right now.' A first-round draft pick who took Kansas to the NCAA Sweet 16 four years in a row and won it all with the 2008 Boston Celtics, Pollard was virtually bedridden by 2024, unable to walk around the block or even conduct an interview without needing a rest because of a virus that had weakened his heart. Since receiving the life-saving transplant last winter, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness of organ donation, a mission that earned him the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the Indy 500 Festival Parade on Saturday. Angell's family rode along on the float with him. 'Any time we get to see them and be around them is a great moment,' Pollard said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. 'But also just to be able to share this experience of being grand marshal with them, and be part of their lives.' At 6-foot-11 and a playing weight of 260 pounds, Pollard inherited his size from his father along with a genetic heart condition that doctors say was triggered by a virus that left him no other choice but a transplant. The problem would be finding a donor organ big enough to pump blood throughout his NBA center-sized body. Six hundred miles away, in East Texas, Angell was on life support with pneumonia brought on by a respiratory illness. 'We made the decision that we were letting go, and they came to us within about 30 minutes and asked about donation,' said Megan Tyra, who works as an administrator at the hospital where her brother died. 'We saw the heart leave, going out the door, and all we were told was that it was headed to Tennessee.' To protect everyone's privacy, organ recipients can only learn about their donors – and vice versa – through a system that requires both sides to agree. Pollard was told that most people don't hear back, but he wrote a note anyway. Angell's family responded. (In addition to his heart, Casey Angell's corneas and his kidneys were donated. The family was told the other recipients were two 17-year-olds and a 48- and a 49-year-old; they have not heard from any of the other recipients.) 'Casey was a nosy dude. He always wanted to be in the know,' Tyra said with a laugh. 'And so when we got that first letter from Scot, … we were grateful that Scot wanted to know about Casey. Him and (his wife) Dawn have been so sweet and kind, (saying) 'You're part of our family now.'' They set up a meeting in Texas this March. Tyra was there with her husband, Clint; Angell's wife, Pam; and her son William, who is now 13. Pollard brought his family — and cameras to record the event for a TV documentary. 'To say the least, it was a tad bit overwhelming,' Tyra said in a telephone interview this week from Indianapolis. 'We never did this for anything other than who Casey was, a helper, a guy who would help anyone do anything. So it's a little bit surreal, a little bit overwhelming. But (Scot) and Dawn make it easy.' Pollard, who turned 50 in February a few days after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the new heart, said that since receiving the transplant he has suffered from survivor's guilt — the doubt that he was worthy of such a gift: 'It's a challenge, because I've got to live right. There's a face, and I know what he looks like and I know who he was, and the family. And so there's that pressure.' Angell's family, he said, helped save him twice. 'There were a lot of days I was crying like, 'I don't know if I deserve this,'' Pollard said. 'And then when they responded, and I got to know them, and I learned a lot more about Casey, it definitely helped. He has helped a whole lot with the healing. Not just emotionally, obviously.' Pollard is hoping the documentary and the other media attention he brings as a former pro athlete will persuade people to consider organ donation. Last month, he spoke at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and received a standing ovation from a convention center full of doctors, including his own; that night, he attended a Celtics playoff game and got another big cheer when he received a shoutout on the scoreboard. Pollard, who spent two of his 11 NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers and settled near Indianapolis, was booked for a breakfast with the governor as part of the Indy 500 festivities this weekend along with some other meet-and-greets. He will watch the race — known as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing — on Sunday in a suite with Angell's family. 'We're excited about the fact that we're honoring Casey, and who Casey was. So it's all about Casey, and the sacrifice Casey made,' Tyra said. 'We're grateful that Scot wanted us to meet, and wants us to be a part of this and that he's doing so much for organ donation. It's amazing. 'You know, we never thought our little smalltown selves would be here for the Indy 500," she said. 'But here we are.' ___ AP auto racing:
Fox Sports
24-05-2025
- Health
- Fox Sports
NBA champ, 'Survivor' contestant Scot Pollard shares Indy 500 parade float with heart donor's family
Associated Press Scot Pollard was standing in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and trying not to cry. The NBA champion and 'Survivor' contestant was talking about meeting the family of Casey Angell, whose heart was now beating inside Pollard's chest. Angell's sister brought a stethoscope. 'She touched my chest. She listened and she started crying. She said, 'Hey, Bubba,' because that's what she used to call him,' Pollard said. 'And we all lost it. And I'm losing it right now.' A first-round draft pick who took Kansas to the NCAA Sweet 16 four years in a row and won it all with the 2008 Boston Celtics, Pollard was virtually bedridden by 2024, unable to walk around the block or even conduct an interview without needing a rest because of a virus that had weakened his heart. Since receiving the life-saving transplant last winter, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness of organ donation, a mission that earned him the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the Indy 500 Festival Parade on Saturday. Angell's family rode along on the float with him. 'Any time we get to see them and be around them is a great moment,' Pollard said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. 'But also just to be able to share this experience of being grand marshal with them, and be part of their lives.' At 6-foot-11 and a playing weight of 260 pounds, Pollard inherited his size from his father along with a genetic heart condition that doctors say was triggered by a virus that left him no other choice but a transplant. The problem would be finding a donor organ big enough to pump blood throughout his NBA center-sized body. Six hundred miles away, in East Texas, Angell was on life support with pneumonia brought on by a respiratory illness. 'We made the decision that we were letting go, and they came to us within about 30 minutes and asked about donation,' said Megan Tyra, who works as an administrator at the hospital where her brother died. 'We saw the heart leave, going out the door, and all we were told was that it was headed to Tennessee.' To protect everyone's privacy, organ recipients can only learn about their donors – and vice versa – through a system that requires both sides to agree. Pollard was told that most people don't hear back, but he wrote a note anyway. Angell's family responded. (In addition to his heart, Casey Angell's corneas and his kidneys were donated. The family was told the other recipients were two 17-year-olds and a 48- and a 49-year-old; they have not heard from any of the other recipients.) 'Casey was a nosy dude. He always wanted to be in the know,' Tyra said with a laugh. 'And so when we got that first letter from Scot, … we were grateful that Scot wanted to know about Casey. Him and (his wife) Dawn have been so sweet and kind, (saying) 'You're part of our family now.'' They set up a meeting in Texas this March. Tyra was there with her husband, Clint; Angell's wife, Pam; and her son William, who is now 13. Pollard brought his family — and cameras to record the event for a TV documentary. 'To say the least, it was a tad bit overwhelming,' Tyra said in a telephone interview this week from Indianapolis. 'We never did this for anything other than who Casey was, a helper, a guy who would help anyone do anything. So it's a little bit surreal, a little bit overwhelming. But (Scot) and Dawn make it easy.' Pollard, who turned 50 in February a few days after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the new heart, said that since receiving the transplant he has suffered from survivor's guilt — the doubt that he was worthy of such a gift: 'It's a challenge, because I've got to live right. There's a face, and I know what he looks like and I know who he was, and the family. And so there's that pressure.' Angell's family, he said, helped save him twice. 'There were a lot of days I was crying like, 'I don't know if I deserve this,'' Pollard said. 'And then when they responded, and I got to know them, and I learned a lot more about Casey, it definitely helped. He has helped a whole lot with the healing. Not just emotionally, obviously.' Pollard is hoping the documentary and the other media attention he brings as a former pro athlete will persuade people to consider organ donation. Last month, he spoke at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and received a standing ovation from a convention center full of doctors, including his own; that night, he attended a Celtics playoff game and got another big cheer when he received a shoutout on the scoreboard. Pollard, who spent two of his 11 NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers and settled near Indianapolis, was booked for a breakfast with the governor as part of the Indy 500 festivities this weekend along with some other meet-and-greets. He will watch the race — known as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing — on Sunday in a suite with Angell's family. 'We're excited about the fact that we're honoring Casey, and who Casey was. So it's all about Casey, and the sacrifice Casey made,' Tyra said. 'We're grateful that Scot wanted us to meet, and wants us to be a part of this and that he's doing so much for organ donation. It's amazing. 'You know, we never thought our little smalltown selves would be here for the Indy 500," she said. 'But here we are.' ___ AP auto racing: recommended in this topic
Indianapolis Star
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Indy 500 Parade, Indiana Fever game to overlap Saturday in downtown Indianapolis
Downtown Indianapolis could be the place to be this weekend — or the place to avoid, depending on your plans. The Indy 500 Festival Parade, a highlight of Memorial Day Weekend downtown, starts at noon May 24. Shortly after that, at 1 p.m., the Indiana Fever will take on New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Here's a look at the schedule. The New York Liberty play the Indiana Fever starting at 1 p.m. on May 24, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Festivities for the 2025 AES 500 Festival Parade kick off at 11:45 a.m. and the parade begins at noon on May 24. A large swath of the downtown area north of Monument Circle will have roads closed starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Meters close on May 23 for Vermont Street between Pennsylvania and Delaware Street; and on May 24 for the parade route. Find more details at With so many roads closed for the parade and the addition of WNBA fans, don't expect things to be easy. Parade organizers suggest arriving early and relaxing during peak exit times. They also recommend entering downtown from the side on which you plan to park, and parking facing the direction you plan to depart.
