I've Lived a Very

Blessed Life

But with everything that we have, we are most fortunate for the people who have supported us throughout our lives. From supportive teachers and passionate mentors to my awesome mother and my family, my gift was cultivated by the entire Akron community. Whether we were moving to a new school for a fourth time or changing apartments for a fifth time, Mom and I were welcomed by great and humble people.

Our experiences have taught us that every single child has a gift and, just as mine was, those gifts deserve to be cultivated.

Right before I went into the draft, we created the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF). Mom and I wanted to create a foundation that, regardless of where I was playing, would be dedicated to giving back to the community by enriching the support system that helped us along our journey. And today, we’re still all in!

We’re staffed entirely by volunteers. From Mom and my wife Savannah to my business partner Maverick, it’s a family affair.

Just as I work to improve my game, I also work to improve my Foundation and its events, year after year. Guided by our two main pillars: support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Akron Public Schools Akron After School program, the LJFF and our partners are helping enrich community support systems across the country. As a core component of our enrichment efforts, we created the Wheels for Education (WFE) program.

When Mom and I first started our Foundation, we had an event called the Bikeathon. Community organizations nominated deserving kids, and my Foundation gave these kids bikes and we rode through Akron together. In 2011, I decided to step my game up, and we changed the Bikeathon to Wheels for Education. We still give kids bikes, but we’re encouraging my Wheels for Education kids to go to school every day, learn from their teachers, and participate in the Akron After School program.

I don’t want any of my kids to become a statistic and drop out of school. Each year we’re adding a new class of third graders and in the ten years before they graduate, we’ll be working with Akron Public Schools and Akron After School to get them college and career ready. I can’t wait for our first class of graduates: 2021 here we come!

I’ll never forget the day I got my first bike. It was like being handed keys to the world. The city was my playground and from that moment on, Mom could never keep me in the house! I rode the streets of Akron from basketball court to basketball court. It’s where I found my love for basketball; but more importantly, it’s where I fell in love with this community.

No matter where my family and my friends went, we were always welcomed. From Summit Lake Rec Center to St. Vincent St. Mary High School, the connections we made as kids have stayed with us as adults.

Our Foundation partners with Akron and Northeast Ohio businesses and organizations. From our event branding and Wheels for Education giveaways to our business cards and website, we keep it all in the family.

I was born here, I was raised here and no matter where my work takes me, my family and I will always call this great city our home.