Lebron James keeps proving to the world that he can do more than just “shut up and dribble.” When he isn’t on the basketball court, he continues to pour his time and effort into his I Promise school, students and faculty. On Thursday, James made a surprise visit to the school to provide a check for $1 million, funded by Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, to pay for the development of a new gymnasium for the students. While James is obviously a champion for sports, he stated, “I don’t want you guys to think that the gym that we’re putting up is just correlated behind sports. It’s also another safe place for our kids”. He continued to stress the importance of academic excellence and said, “we’re going to continue to preach education every day because it means so much, not only where you are today, but going on for the rest of your life.”
The I Promise school was created to benefit the underserved community, offering students who were performing below grade level an opportunity to learn and advance in a caring and hands-on environment. According to the Lebron James Family Foundation, ninety percent of the enrolled students are now meeting or exceeding individual goals in both reading and mathematics within their first year.
Congratulations to the students of I Promise and to Lebron James for using his power, influence, and funds to help children have a brighter tomorrow through education.
