MACON, Ga. — Today Piedmont Health Care honored a Macon man with their Community Hero Award and a $500 dollar check.
Freddie Stewart is the director for the Revitalizing Baseball in Inner Cities League, also known as RBI Macon.
"Sports is my passion," Stewart said. "This was a niche that I was brought into of 33-odd years ago and I've just been involved with it since."
Stewart hit a home run as the recipient of the award.
He says he was surprised to receive the award, and his wife, friends, and colleagues were all around to support him.
RBI Macon is affiliated with Major League Baseball, so Stewart does his best to be a mentor to kids right off the 'bat'.
He said the purpose of the program is to give underprivileged kids a chance to play baseball.
"Helping a kid today and 15 years from now you could run into that same kid and they would remind me of the day I bought them a pair of shoes or I threw them a baseball. That's where I get my gratitude from," Stewart said.
Jeff Battcher is the founder of RBI Macon, and said this was one of the easiest awards to hand out.
"What is outstanding about Freddie is his commitment to helping young people over several decades,” Battcher said. “A lot of people commit for a year or two, but his longstanding commitment to baseball is unbelievable.”
Between 300 and 350 players a year take part in the RBI Macon program.
Stewart said the $500 dollars will be granted to a non-profit organization called the Middle Georgia Community Youth League.
The Community Hero Award is presented quarterly by Piedmont Macon.