Even when Dave Pasch can’t use his voice to broadcast sports, he’s speaking up for those suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.
The four-time Arizona Sportscaster of the Year, who is even better known for his national play-by-play work with ESPN, struck a chord Saturday with a social media post offering to help a Phoenix area family in need to pay a bill.
In the Twitter post, Pasch referenced a well known Bible verse (Acts 20:35) about helping the weak and Jesus saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
“I just felt this is an opportunity for me as a Christian to live out my faith in a way that’s real and kind of where the rubber meets the road,” Pasch said. “Here’s an opportunity to step up when you’ve got a lot of people that are hurting and suffering and unsure of the future, scared, nervous, anxious.
“I thought it was a good opportunity to use the platform I’ve been given to be a good witness and certainly not take the glory for myself but help another person.”
Pasch, 47, and his wife Hallie discussed the best way to make an impact and decided going public could spur others to do likewise, which is exactly what’s happened.
“Actually I’ve gotten a lot of response from people who are offering to help others,” Pasch said. “The point of this isn’t just to give someone money. It’s to pay a bill, that’s one thing our church does. We’re still in the gathering information stage trying to figure out who are people in the most need then we’ll do what we can then I’ll pass on to some of the other people who have inquired about helping some of the people who have messaged me.”
Pasch, play-by-play voice of the Arizona Cardinals, is aware of how professional athletes and teams are financially assisting arena workers, whose income depends on games that are not being played due to the virtual blanket shutdown of American sports. He also calls college football, men’s and women’s college basketball and the NBA for ESPN, his network home since 2003.
“It’s been encouraging to see athletes or owners stepping up and helping,” Pasch said. “It’s a time where people that can lend a hand financially really should. This is a great chance for us to be good examples and help as much as we possibly can.”
Being at home in March is unusual for Pasch, but it gives him more time with his family including three children.
“I’ve been sitting the last couple of days thinking about myself and what could this mean for me,” Pasch said. “You get into that place of selfishness for too long, you’re like what about everybody else. That’s part of it. There’s a lot of people in way worse situations than we are. This is a great way to look at someone else and try to help them rather than focusing on me.”
