I felt like I little kid in a candy store that day.
I was in Canton, Ohio preparing for a week of NFL 100th season Huddle for 100 community events and finished up my day and remembered that just a stone's throw away was Akron, Ohio.
I called up my colleague Jordyn White with so much excitement. "Jordyn, can we please go!? Please take the drive with me to see it!" It was 8:00 at night and dark on the streets we had never traveled, but she obliged because she heard the excitement in my voice and she shares a heart and passion for philanthropy.
After grabbing a bite at Swenson's Drive-In, we pulled up to a dark, empty parking lot but lights beamed up from the ground shining on a huge block-lettered sign that expanded across the front lawn: I PROMISE.
I finally made it.
LeBron James Family Foundation's I PROMISE School.
Driving behind the "We are Family" philosophy, all of LeBron's heart and passions are rolled into the school, dedicated to students who are already failing behind and in danger of falling through the cracks. The school implements specialized programming tailored to the students to create a culture conducive to social-emotional learning.
As a former high school educator that poured my heart and soul into teaching 11th & 12th graders how to read, I was so intrigued that a professional athlete would use so much of his time and so many of his resources to gather a team of people to make his dream happen. That takes a lot of work and a lot of time. But he was committed. He was thoughtful in his approach, not just meeting a need to say he was meeting a need, but intentional about creating the type of culture that would be best suited for the students in attendance. He was invested and got the best of the best in education and philanthropy to come together to see his vision drive forward and to truly invest into the lives of kids in his hometown.
I wasn't able to get into the school to see the inside that night (although I was SO tempted to ask the janitor that I saw roaming the halls if he would let little ole me in for a tour), but just being on the campus of school created one of the best basketball players of our time ignited a sense of purpose and drive to continue to encourage and equip athletes to use their platforms for good and to pour their hearts into causes they are passionate about.
Today, LeBron James achieved a significant mark in his wealth journey: becoming a billionaire. But, I would argue to say that the greatest riches this man has are the eternal rewards that he will have for changing the lives of so many.
Thank you, LeBron James, for stewarding what you have been given and leading a legacy that doesn't just lead back to yourself, but to all of those whose lives you are changing every day.
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