Grand Chute The scene was set for Donald Driver to save the day with a clutch play.

His Green Bay offensive teammates had rallied from a 35-23 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning. With sunshine giving way to a wicked storm and pitcher Nick Barnett walking one batter after another, the score had closed to a 35-35 tie with two outs.

With his wife, kids and half the crowd ducking for cover, Driver stepped up to the plate, squinted through the rain, swung for the fences . . . and popped out to the infield.

"A pop-out? We could have won," receiver James Jones said. "We've been giving him a hard time."

Indeed, Aaron Kampman pinched the fly-out in his glove to end the Driver's softball game for charity Sunday at Fox Cities Stadium to make it a draw.

"I was over there signing autographs when they told me I had to take the last hit," Driver said. "So there was a lot of pressure on me. But hey, we ended up with a tie. I'm OK with that."

Maybe the best news of the day - besides the fact that the players and fans donated their time and money for good causes - was that millions of dollars in talent on the field got off it without injury. The Packers' organized team activities practices wrap up this week before mandatory minicamp next week.

But for any diehard Packers fan who wanted to get a closeup of his favorite player, this easygoing affair did not disappoint.

Players signed autographs and there was even an appearance by safety Nick Collins, who has been absent from voluntary workouts lately. He tossed complimentary bags of snacks - by the box full - into the stands.

This annual softball game, which was started by former quarterback Brett Favre, is under Driver's command for a second year and it's his biggest fund-raiser. Driver has always been very active in the community, with a charity golf outing next week in Milwaukee, another this summer in Houston, three football camps and a dance in the fall, said Brian Lammi of Lammi Sports Management.

Although attendance was noticeably down - 4,580 compared with almost 6,000 last year, said Lammi, and 7,000-plus when Favre had it - the donations are still significant, benefitting groups like Special Olympics, Goodwill and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

"The economy may be keeping people from coming but we really appreciate the crowd that's here," said Driver's wife, Betina. "It's a nice turnout. We didn't expect this many. Fans love coming out so, of course, we wanted to keep it going and it helps out the foundation, too, so we're honored to take it over."

Through his own foundation, Driver also gives out $1,000 scholarships to top students from financially strapped families. The Donald Driver Foundation has also paid the rent and utility bills for 43 previously homeless families in Houston, Milwaukee, Green Bay and other Wisconsin communities, Lammi said.

Another event organizer, Nate Reilly, said Jimmy Krueger of Mesquite, Texas, won the eBay roster spot auction open to the top bidding fan. The auction jumped from $1,900 to $2,400 in the final 30 seconds before the bidding closed.

"All the players came out to support this and that really does show the unity we have," Driver said. "And then the fan support was amazing."