Kids Day Out was great!
Charles gets a hug while signing autographs for hundreds of the young and older fans .
It was a near perfect day for having a good time, except for the wet field and bogging down.
Kids, from infants to 95, were out in full force at the annual Charles Grant Kids’ Day Out right here in Colquitt. The cloud cover gave a cooling effect that made it just right to be out in Martin Luther King Jr. Street at James E. Merritt Park.
There was more of everything, including room, as young people by the bus loads from several counties were brought from all over the Wiregrass to enjoy this day of rides, food, entertainment and joy of meeting some of the famous sports stars.
Former NFL New Orleans Saint defensive end star and a member of the 2010 Super Bowl squad, Charles Grant of Colquitt made all this possible.
“This is just one way of giving back to this community some of what this community and the people gave to me,” Grant stated.
Grant was all over the park, out in the street, in the parking lots, greeting those who came to his sixth Kids’ Day Out. When he wasn’t busy helping set up the events for the day, he was hugging the young people and signing autographs.
The event is hosted by Grant and the Charles Grant S.A.C.K. Success Foundation, which promotes programs to enhance the quality of life for children and adults.
One of Grant’s former teammates at the Univer- sity of Georgia, George Foster who also played in the NFL as offensive lineman with the Detroit Lions was on hand. Foster was not one of Grant's football teammates, but he helps with the Kids’ Day Out every year.
“This is a great thing to do, and anytime, as long as Charles keeps doing this, I will be a part of it to show my support for him and help in every way I can,” Foster stated.
Leonard Pope who played with the Kansas City Chiefs and Thomas Davis who played with the Carolina Panthers was also on hand to greet the young and old.
Many of the older boys were thrilled to meet the NFL football players. The younger kids enjoyed the fair-like carnival that was provided for their entertainment. Some of the young people enjoyed the train, the basketball shooting stations, the trampolines, the gyros, the slides and the many other entertainment stations. Many of the kids of all ages enjoyed the cotton-candy, popcorn, drinks, hotdogs and hamburgers.
Grant stated, “Something like this doesn’t just happen. I’ve got some good help in putting it together, and the volunteers are just great every year. I can’t thank them enough. My folks, Ralph and Teresa Warren, do a lot of work. They are great. Six years of experience has taught us a lot, like what to do and what not to do. Having the event in this park was a great idea. I hope to continue it right here in James E. Merritt Park in Colquitt. This is home. This is where some of my greatest memories are and my happiest times,” Grant stated.
Grant has been a speaker in the Miller County schools as well as several other school systems in Southwest Georgia. He tells the youth to get an education and prepare themselves for life. “We all make mistakes, but we can do better by working at what we do to be better,” Grant stated.
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