"Our beautiful game can change the world" - The story behind how LeBron James is working to improve living conditions in his hometown, Akron
LeBron James, the man from Akron, Ohio, has continued to shine a light on his hometown in every way possible. The proud icon from the city of about 200,000 people has painstakingly been at the center of the growing community.
He returned to nearby Cleveland for the 71st NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, leading his team to victory against Team Durant, without the Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. It was his 18th NBA All-Star appearance, tying him with Kobe Bryant for most ASG selections, one behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also won his fifth All-Star Game as captain of his team with a clean record of no losses.
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Hope y’all read to see how our beautiful game can change the world. 
@LJFamFoundation latimes.com/sports/story/2…The work is NEVER done! 🙏🏾👑 Hope y’all read to see how our beautiful game can change the world. ❤️ @LJFamFoundation latimes.com/sports/story/2…
James' return to Cleveland was met with fanfare and good cheers for the former Cavaliers small forward. It was the perfect atmosphere for the 37-year old to crown his 18th All-Star appearance and a win for his I Promise foundation. Due to Team LeBron securing a 163-160 win over Team Durant, the Kent State I Promise Scholars Program was awarded $450,000.
"The work is NEVER done! Hope y’all read to see how our beautiful game can change the world," James tweeted.
LeBron James' I Promise Foundation is improving the quality of life in his hometown of Akron
LeBron James' charitable work for his community has been commendable and impactful. He has since created other projects in line with his goals of revitalizing the community, including I Promise School, I Promise Institute, I Promise Village and I Promise Housing.
The foundation's executive director, Michele Campbell, shared the motivation and direction as conceived by James.
“The ‘I Promise’ movement was born after a lot of soul-searching and talking after that first year working in Miami and him coming home," Campbell said. "He was like, ‘We need to do more. We’re doing nice one-and-done events. But are we really moving a community? Are we really making a difference?’”
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With I Promise School, they have gone a step further to aid parents with an on-site social worker who will assist in helping parents access food stamps and an in-house attorney to help resolve cases and clear records. She explained the foundation's integration into the local government and their hand-to-hand collaboration with the Akron mayor's office.
One of the collaborations is an agreement by the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. to develop a basketball court and dedicated rooms for the low housing complex known as "I Promise Housing."
“If we created our own charter private school, we’d make all the rules,” Campbell said. “But how do you show others that you really can create change in a public school system? So that was like a directive from LeBron: 'We’re not creating our own. We’re working within.' ... We feel that we’re modeling the way a community should operate, and challenging — in very positive ways — how we change certain systems.”