As a sign of appreciation for their hard work, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James gifted over 800 pairs of his Nike LeBron 16s to middle and high school students at the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio.
Students showed up expecting an ordinary day, but they were rewarded with their choice of James' new kicks:
Over 800 pairs of @nikebasketball LeBron 16’s in 10 different colorways for his kids to choose from – motivating them to keep pushing. 🤯👟 #WeAreFamily #EarnedNotGiven pic.twitter.com/vACk2fAPiT
— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) October 14, 2019
James opened the I Promise School back in 2018, with its primary focus being on at-risk youth in the Akron area. Supported by the LeBron James Family Foundation, the school is already seeing tangible results. In fact, 90 percent of the original 240 students met or exceeded individual growth goals in reading and math, outpacing their peers across the district. There is still some work to do, but early returns are encouraging:
“These kids are doing an unbelievable job, better than we all expected,” James told The New York Times in an April interview.
Students at the I Promise School know they are taking part in something special:
“We get to have fun, and have opportunities that other kids don’t have,” fourth grader Kamari Dennis told the New York Times.
James is not merely standing by as his school continues to develop. Acts like this one prove that he is truly invested in the future of Akron's youth:
“I had the vision of wanting to give back to my community,” James said of opening the I Promise School. “The people around every day are helping that vision come to life. Half the battle is trying to engage them and show that there’s always going to be somebody looking out for them.”
A tip of the cap to LeBron for all his work with the community.
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