John Hollins: The “Reach Back Kid” Goes International by Harold Bell

Big John Hollins named Community Hero by the Atlanta Braves in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia / https://www.cbs46.com/cbs-s-john-hollins-named-community-hero/video_c2872280-791f-5719-bafa-6173e2329625.html

Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves All-Star second baseman is front and center with Atlanta Metro RBI youth baseball team in Curacao

On Thursday, January 16, 2020, the ATLANTA METRO RBI youth baseball team boarded a plane at the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport and flew to the Carribean island of Curacao. Since 2016 ATL METRO RBI takes a group of local teen athletes to a Caribbean island to give back to fellow young players who otherwise cannot afford to play the game of baseball. The group raises money all year to take this trip over Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. They team up with Mizuno??? to supply a range of baseball items to the players they meet, items will include gloves, shoes, helmets, bats, catchers gear, and apparel.

Why did ATL METRO RBI choose Curacao? The man behind the project is John W. Hollins, Jr. John has been a dedicated and respected community leader for over 30 years. A corporate executive and business owner. He is a Senior Account Executive with CBS 46, where he has been an integral component to the company’s growth and development for several years, managing the advertising of some of the top Ad agencies, law firms and small businesses in Atlanta, as well as helping develop several local midsize businesses through television and digital advertising.

He has been a proud member of the 100 Black Men of America since 2008 and has served as the President of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County Inc. Serving the community has always been very rewarding to John, he watched his father mentor kids with absent fathers at home and created the first organized football program in the local Eastlake Meadows housing project to promote teamwork and sportsmanship. To prove that he believed God made all kids equal, he signed his oldest son and namesake (John jr.) up first. He also believes no baby comes out of his/her mother’s womb wearing a KKK robe, with an AK 47, selling drugs or using the N-word, it is all taught behavior. Those beliefs were established by a father who planted the seeds of community reach-back at an early age. He inspired John to establish a community youth sports program to help the family keep the legacy intact and help our children.

Big John with his son John Jr. hanging out at a charity event during the Christmas holidays.