Horatio Williams gives back

Horatio Williams believes it is easy to reach kids – just show them some attention. That’s the idea behind his eponymous foundation, and he sees results every day.

“Kids don’t respect older people because they think they don’t care,” says the 42-year-old Grosse Pointe resident. “If we show them we do care, these kids will turn their way around and change the way they think.” Williams saw this firsthand when he was visiting a group of teens at a local gym. One he calls “the toughest one” was being disruptive and uncooperative, so Williams warned he’d have to kick him out. “I said, ‘I don’t want to because I love you,’ and the kid started crying. He said, ‘No one has ever said I love you to me before,’” Williams says.

That kind of response keeps Williams, a single father to an 11-year-old son, motivated to continue the success of the Horatio Williams Foundation. The Detroit-based organization is dedicated to helping innercity youth realize personal success and achievements, primarily through sports and education.