HANCOCK COUNTY, Ga. — Former Hancock Central Bulldog Kammeon Holsey returned Saturday to show love to his village.
Athletes have significant impacts on the communities they come out of, even moreso when that community is a small one like Hancock County.
Holsey hosted his second annual community fun day at his old grade school, Southwest Elementary School in Devereux.
The kids running around playing games, eating hot dogs and jumping in the bounce house were exactly who Holsey had in mind when he started the event in 2019.
"The kids need it. Like I said, seeing somebody like me, going off to college and graduating and going to play professional ball. Why shouldn't I come back and let them know that they can do it too?" Holsey said.
Holsey won a state championship for the Bulldogs before playing college ball at Georgia Tech and then professionally overseas.
Giving back to the community who raised him is a no brainer. He does so through his non-profit The KamKares Foundation.
"Being from a small rural area, two stop lights, people used to make jokes about it, but a lot of good things, great things come from this community," Holsey said.
The fun day included games, food, music and giveaways of shoes and Atlanta Hawks gear. One raffle included a signed basketball from the 2021 Hawks basketball team.
Holsey is also gearing up for his next big event -- a book release.
"It's called 'Kam's 30-Day Devotion: A Life Lived Without God is Incomplete.' I'm a living testimony. If you keep God first, you're gonna have challenges. We all have challenges, we all go through struggles, but you just have to keep the faith, push through it and God will help you get through it," he said.
Kam credits God for his success, but the village he grew up in played a huge part too.
"Some people make it without support, but support gives you an extra boost, so shoutout to my community, shoutout to my church family and shoutout to everybody who's supported me throughout the years," Holsey said.
Holsey plans to release his book in the next couple months. He'll return overseas in July for the international basketball season.