Collins

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ATLANTA – Earlier this year Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) celebrated National Mentoring Month, in partnership with Kumho Tire and the Atlanta Hawks. The group honored those who are already volunteering as mentors, “Bigs,” and are impacting the community.

To celebrate National Mentoring Month, which is in January, the Hawks and Kumho Tire honored a Big and Little match during the Hawks game on January 4 against the Indiana Pacers. With the help of Honorary Big Brother and Hawks Power Forward John Collins, they highlighted a great match with a mentor who has gone above and beyond to make the mentoring experience an exciting, rich and engaging one for his Little.

The selected mentor, Jake Foote and his Little Brother Jordan, were able to sit courtside

during shoot-around and meet John Collins and a few other current Hawks players. Later in the game, John Collins appeared on the jumbotron to announce the surprise that the match had been selected to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience in New York City.

“This is the second year we’ve partnered with the Hawks and Kumho Tire for National Mentoring Month and I can’t express enough how grateful we are for the opportunities this gives our matches,” said Kwame Johnson, BBBSMA President and CEO. “I look forward to the continued impact we will make together in the Atlanta community.”

The surprise included an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to watch the Atlanta Hawks take on the Brooklyn Nets. In its entirety, the prize included a two-night stay at the team hotel, a special dining experience for the group, and tickets to the Hawks versus Nets game on Sunday, January 12, for James, Jordan, and two guests.

“We are proud to support BBBSMA again this year for National Mentoring Month. BBBSMA makes such an impact on our youth by creating hope and vision,” said Shawn Denlein, EVP of Sales &amp; Marketing for Kumho Tire USA. “Partnering with the Hawks to provide an experience for Jake Foote and his Little Brother Jordan is a way for us to create positivity in the Atlanta community and we look forward to the continued partnership with BBBSMA.”

Currently, nearly 500 youth in Metro Atlanta are waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister. One way to inspire them to reach their full potential is for more adults to step up and volunteer to become Bigs. Being a Big means committing to spending a few hours a month with a young person doing things that you both love to do, like playing basketball, visiting the library, or learning how to cook.

Metro Atlanta residents can get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters by visiting www.bbbsatl.org.

bbbsma-partners-with-atlanta-hawks-and-kumho-tire-to-celebrate-mentorship

BBBSMA PARTNERS WITH ATLANTA HAWKS AND KUMHO TIRE TO CELEBRATE MENTORSHIP

FROM PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS/GM TRAVIS SCHLENK:

“On behalf of the entire Hawks organization, we are disappointed to learn that John put himself in an unfortunate situation and violated the league’s anti-drug policy. We hold ourselves and each of our players to a high standard, and we are committed to supporting John as he learns from this setback and continues to grow as both a player and a person. Head Coach Lloyd Pierce and I have both talked to him and we believe that he is truly remorseful for his actions. We will provide John with support on and off the court while we look forward to his return to the team.” 

“First I want to apologize to my teammates, the Hawks organization, our fans, partners and community as a whole for this situation. I understand the impact this matter has on what we are trying to achieve together this season, and I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all of us in this position. I have always been incredibly careful about what I put in my body, but I took a supplement which, unbeknownst to me, had been contaminated with an illegal component. I plan to fight my suspension in arbitration so I can get back on the court as soon as possible and continue to contribute to our 2019-20 campaign.”

Collins

BBBSMA PARTNERS WITH ATLANTA HAWKS AND KUMHO TIRE TO CELEBRATE MENTORSHIP

Hawks President, GM Travis Schlenk, John Collins Issue Statements Regarding Suspension