One of Fayette County's best-known

residents shared his influence, his affluence and his aspirations with

the community on Independence Day by inviting thousands of Atlanta metro

youth to his spacious compound on Holyfield Boulevard. at the north end

of the county as he has for the last 10 years. Evander Holyfield, the

"Champ," as the majority of his guests called him, explains

his motivation like this, "I was exposed to things like this as a

child. Someone always gave me an opportunity ever since I was little."

The Champ described the Holyfield

Foundation Annual 4th of July Celebration as based on the realization

that throughout the year everyone looks over the fence and says, "What's

over there?" Once a year they get a chance to see what's over here

and have a chance to see what the Foundation is all about.

"It's fun for the kids

and it gives people an opportunity to reach their goals, and they may

extend the same thing to someone else," Holyfield said. The Foundation's

stated purpose is to enhance the lives of youth worldwide by establishing

programs and facilities dedicated to their spiritual, educational and

athletic development.

The event drew more than 3,000

official participants and hundreds more that gathered outside the 200-acre

estate at dusk to view the outstanding fireworks show. According to the

Champ, "A lot of different companies donated certain things ­

basketball, baseball, hot-air balloons, pony rides ­ a lot of different

things that cater to the children. Real Deal Records is putting on a concert.

We know everybody likes music [and] all the music will be positive."

Cosponsors with the Holyfield

Foundation for this year's event included Coca Cola, Kraft Foods, Real

Deal Records, the Atlanta Hawks, Wayfield Foods, HBO, and the MBC Network,

among others. The MBC Network, a Holyfield enterprise, is the only African-American

owned and operated cable network in America, now available in 41 states,

1,400 cities and 17 million homes.

The day began early with Holyfield

instructing guests with invitations where to park on the estate. He then

visited all the event sites and welcomed hundreds of children and groups

personally. Celebrity guests included baseball great Cecil Fielder, whose

monster home run won the 1996 World Series for the New York Yankees, and

attorney Willie Gary, internationally recognized trial advocate, praised

for his rise to the top of his field and his work on behalf of injured

persons. Both Fielder and Gary are executives the MBC Network.

A multitude of questions were

asked the Champ about his recent wedding to the former Candi Smith, a

24-year-old Emory University senior. He parried questions as if he was

in the ring and flatly refused to confirm either date or location for

the wedding.

About his wife, the Champ told

reporters, "I'm happy with her. Family is very important to me. It's

important for my children to see, regardless of how many mistakes their

father made, he would get it right."

Asked about this being his

third marriage, Holyfield said, "Each and every time you get better.

You learn from your mistakes and you gotta be positive. When you're dealing

with different individuals and they may make mistakes, the most important

thing is that it's always forgiven. God forgives me and I forgive them.

I'll keep doing it until I get it right."

"No! No!" The Champ

was emphatic when asked if he was through with boxing, "I will be

the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world." Oct. 4 he'll be

back in the ring with James Toney.

Explaining that this is just

a stepping stone to his return as undisputed heavyweight champion of the

world, Holyfield said he's been striving for that since 1992 when he lost

it. "I've been close but I haven't got it. But I have faith, I will

get it."

The Olympic sized pool behind

his home was open to the guests and the kids made the most of it to beat

the heat of the day. Others rode ponies and visited the petting zoo. Local

radio station Hot 107.9 broadcast the event live from poolside. Ramona

Debreaux hosted the poolside show and at one point put the Champ on the

air. "We're here to participate with the Holyfield Foundation and

everyone else who's participating. Just to support and tell folks out

there what's happening."

Also at poolside to ensure

the safety of the swimmers was Pam Young, the executive director of the

Fayette Family YMCA, who coordinated the lifeguards. Young has been with

the YMCA for seven years but this was her first year being involved with

the Foundation.

"It's a pleasure to help

out and help keep kids safe," she said. For most of the time there

were four lifeguards actively on deck with a company of nine volunteers

working in shifts throughout the day.

There was food and drink in

abundance to combat exhaustion and the heat of the day. Heavy clouds and

an early evening thunderstorm provided a natural display and cooled temperatures

for the evening concert.

The Champ's record label, Real

Deal Records, actually put on two concerts, an early one for the youngsters

that the Champ described as "giving the guests a chance to be with

the artists and have an opportunity to hear clean music; most important

to me is clean music."

The evening concert concluded

with all the performers on stage joining the guests in a hearty rendition

of "God Bless America," a natural introduction to a fabulous

and lengthy fireworks display.

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