Best of the Batch Foundation is gearing up for its 17th annual In the Pocket casino night, a fundraiser bringing together Steelers stars, celebrity guests and friendly competition for a cause close to founder Charlie Batch's heart. The event is set for next Thursday, November 12, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Distillery Complex in Pittsburgh, and organizers are framing it as a night of gaming, food and mingling in support of local kids.
A Casino Night With Steelers Flair
The casino night brings together Steelers stars, celebrity guests and friendly competition for a cause. The event page from Best of the Batch Foundation promotes the evening as a benefit supporting its STEAM programs and out-of-school-time offerings, with live and silent auctions planned. The foundation's listing also notes that tickets, sponsorship packages and ad space are available.
A companion listing on the foundation's Network for Good event page describes a night of casino-style gaming, food, premium cocktails, live entertainment, auctions and the chance to mingle with current and former Steelers players and local celebrities. That same listing says the foundation serves more than 4,000 children and teens ages 4 to 18 each year through mentorship, STEAM education, academic support and enrichment programs. The foundation's own homepage, however, puts the number at more than 4,000 children ages 5 to 18 across nine western Pennsylvania counties, while WTAE has described the programs as reaching nearly 4,000 children — figures that don't fully line up but all point to a sizable year-round reach.
Roots Going Back to 1999
Best of the Batch Foundation says it was founded in 1999 by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, and In the Pocket has become one of its signature annual fundraisers. The foundation's own recap of its 14th annual edition in 2023 said that event marked a return after a three-year hiatus, with guests playing ping pong, pool and poker alongside Steelers players and local celebrities. That 2023 gathering also welcomed attendees into the foundation's then-new 33,000-square-foot Clubhouse, described as an expanded educational space for STEAM activities, tutoring and mentoring.
Earlier versions of the event carried a similar spirit. WTAE once described the 14th annual In the Pocket gathering as a pool, ping-pong and poker competition pitting Steelers against celebrities for a good cause, while a Pittsburgh Steelers account of the event said players challenged guests to both games as well as poker. That same Steelers.com report noted a main beneficiary was Batch's reading and computer literacy program, and guests were asked to bring a book to donate.
A Milestone Year At The Clubhouse
WTAE has reported that the Batch Clubhouse is an educational facility in Homestead that event participants visited, and that one recent edition doubled as a celebration of the foundation's 25th anniversary. In the Pocket is an annual fundraiser, and one recent edition doubled as a celebration of the foundation's 25th anniversary, even as the exact scale of its youth programming is described differently across its own materials and local coverage.
With the 17th annual edition set for next Thursday, the foundation is once again leaning on its mix of star power and local goodwill to raise money for programs it says reach thousands of children across the region.
