Mack Hollins Named NFLPA Community MVP After Special Olympics Event

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins was named the Week 4 NFLPA Community MVP on Friday, following a Special Olympics Field Day he hosted in Foxborough alongside the Patriots Foundation. The event, held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, marked Hollins’s biggest event with the organization yet and brought over 100 Special Olympics athletes together with their families.

Including families, about 250 people packed into the WIN Waste Field House at Patriot Place for an evening of exercise, activities, and giveaways. Beyond playing football, soccer, and a little bit of softball, the field day featured meals for the athletes and their families, face painting, a photo booth, and interactive elements designed for all ages and abilities.

Hosting the Field Day Event

Tonight I got to have my very first Field Day with over 100 Special Olympics athletes plus their families, Hollins said after the event. I’ve been working with the Special Olympics for a long time, and this is the first time I’ve really been able to have to host so many athletes. Hopefully we can have so many more in the future, but this was so amazing to bring athletes from all over the area all here to enjoy each other, to enjoy inclusion, and enjoy some time with me.

Global Ambassador Involvement

Hollins has built a reputation for giving back to the Special Olympics long before becoming well known across the NFL for his energetic play and esoteric habits.

I’ve been working with the Special Olympics for over 15 years now, and in a more official role, in the last seven to eight years, Hollins said. I’m a global ambassador, which is one of my greatest honors, but I say it all the time, I do it kind of selfishly for the way the athletes make me feel when I see them. They come here and treat you exactly how you treat them. They have no ulterior motives. They have fun with each other. They enjoy just playing sports and being out here, but they give you their heart.