LeBron James came from humble beginnings. Brought up by a single mother, James grew up in poverty and came to understand the plight of inner city youth. After entering the NBA out of high school, James amassed an enormous fortune through his basketball career and high dollar endorsement deals. Despite the life of luxury that he has come to know, he never forgot where he came from.
LeBron James has become a philanthropist donating hundreds of millions of dollars to charity’s benefiting today’s youth. His most recent act of generosity came in the form of an $87 million dollar scholarship fund for Akron kids.
LeBron’s new “I Promise” campaign found him teamed up with the University of Akron. James and the University of Akron in Ohio have put together a scholarship fund for students who can’t afford college. The program aims to pay the $9,500 per year tuition for students involved in the program. With four years per student, James is looking to give $38,000 to complete a four year college education.
The first batch of students totaled over 1100 for enrollment. It is expected that another 1200 will join the program in the coming years. “It’s the reason I do what I do. These students have big dreams, and I’m happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They’re going to have to earn it, but I’m excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures,” James told reporters at the unveiling of the program.
The ‘I Promise’ program with the University of Akron is not James’ first investment in the community. James has previously worked with numerous kids programs including After-School All-Stars, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Children’s Defense Fund and Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation.
The program was welcomed by the University, who recently had to cut over $40 million from their budget, eliminating even some sports teams. James has found that giving back to the community is a way to provide opportunity for kids growing up under the same difficult circumstances he did.
Sources: Look To Others, Big Story.
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