Holmes Returns Home to Broadcast Good Morning America Live on Campus

Razorback kicker Cam Little receives a $25,000 donation for Down Syndrome Connection of NWA.

T.J. Holmes is joined by mascots (from L to R) Ribby, Porkchop, Boss Hog, Sue E., and Big Red.

T.J. Holmes leads a Hog Call for Good Morning America.

Coleman Warren is surprised with a $5,000 donation to his Simple + Sweet Creamery to go towards fighting child hunger.

T.J. Holmes feeds grapes to Tusk V, the live mascot of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Good Morning America!

T.J. Holmes visits with Razorback Men's Basketball coach Eric Musselman, as well as Jaylin Williams, Devonte Davis and Kamani Johnson.

Photo by Russell Cothren

Coleman Warren, alongside T.J. Holmes, is surprised with a $5,000 donation to continue his fight against child hunger.

U of A alumnus T.J. Holmes was back on campus this week to say Good Morning America!

Holmes, a 1999 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and one of the anchors for Good Morning America and GMA 3 on ABC, returned to his home state this week to highlight the state of Arkansas for GMA’s "Rise and Shine" series. 

Some of his fondest memories came inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium so, naturally, Holmes and the GMA crew broadcast live from inside the stadium with members of the Razorback Marching Band, spirit squad, men’s basketball team, Tusk and some special students who have been doing their part to give back to the community. 

One of those students was senior Coleman Warren. 

Warren, a native of Farmington, ASG president, a recently named Rhodes Scholar and Truman Scholar, founded Simple+Sweet Creamery and has been donating the profits from the small-batch ice cream store to local nonprofits that fight child hunger. To date, Simple+Sweet has provided more than 15,000 meals, and Warren has continued to fight food insecurity both on and off campus.

On Wednesday, during the live GMA broadcast, Holmes surprised Warren with a donation of 20,000 pounds of food to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank as well as a $5,000 donation to Simple+Sweet to help continue his fight against child hunger.

Later in the morning, Holmes also met with Razorback football kicker Cameron Little. 

Little, a freshman from Moore, Oklahoma, announced last season after the big win over Texas that he was donating $10 per made field goal to Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas, whose mission since 2002 has been to facilitate inclusion and respect for individuals with Down syndrome within the region, ensuring that they have access to the support and the resources necessary to reach their full potential at all stages of life.

Little’s cousin Ayden has Down syndrome, which is one of the reasons why this cause means so much to him.

Holmes and the rest of the GMA team along with friends at ArcBest were able to surprise Little with a visit from Ayden and the rest of his family as well as a donation of $25,000 to Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas. 

The surprises didn't stop there as another donation was also made to the Burlsworth Foundation, a $10,000 donation from GMA and Wells Fargo. Marty and Vickie Burlsworth were on hand to receive the surprise donation.

To see more of Holmes’ visit to Fayetteville as well as full video clips of the pageantry and surprises, visit GoodMorningAmerica.com. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.