About Big Gary

Gary Holmes was a proud member of the undefeated 1973 Blytheville Chickasaws, playing defensive back for the Chicks from 1973-76. He went on to play football at Arkansas State University, where he also met his wife, Linda, a fellow ASU graduate who spent her career as a beloved kindergarten teacher in Gosnell, Arkansas, until her retirement.

After ASU, Big Gary built his career at Nucor Yamato Steel. He and Linda raised two sons, both high school atheletes, who carried his values forward: Little Gary, who followed his father's path to Nucor Yamato Steel, and Jake, who graduated from ASU before earning his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Gary believed deeply in education, athletics, and the doors both can open for a young person willing to work. The "I Believe" Golf Tournament and the Gary D. Holmes Smile Scholarship Endowment are his family's way of making sure those doors stay open for the next generation of student-athletes in the community he called home.

Each year, the Holmes family hosts the "I Believe" Golf Tournament to raise scholarship funds for students chasing their goals 

Every swing, every sponsorship, and every dollar raised goes toward helping local student-athletes take the next step in their education.

The Gary D. Holmes Smile Scholarship Endowment gives multiple awards to graduating high school student-athletes to help cover valid school-related expenses as they pursue the next chapter of their education.

proudly affiliated with the Arkansas Community Foundation since 2009.