LeBron pushes community building at annual charity event
LeBron James said Tuesday that solving America's crippling social problems begins at the grassroots level with charitable endeavors such as his own.
"I believe, in order for us to ultimately be as great as we can be as a nation, that all of us have to go back into our communities and lend our hand," James told a crowd at Cedar Point amusement park west of Cleveland. "It starts brick by brick. It starts person by person. Family by family. Kid by kid."
The event was an annual reunion hosted by the LeBron James Family Foundation. One of the main aspects of the charity is the "I Promise" campaign, which has pledged to help pay for 2,300 college scholarships - at a cost of roughly $80 million - for disadvantaged students in the Akron public school system.
James touched on last month's ESPYs broadcast, in which he, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade delivered a speech on the rash of racially and economically charged violence that has dominated U.S. headlines for the better part of two years.
"We just talked about how we felt and the state that America is in, but more importantly, what I wanted to talk about is the state of community," he said.
On a lighter note, James said that officially inking his recent contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers frees him up to ride one of Cedar Point's roller coasters.
"I signed my contract, so I'm actually OK to do that now."
- With h/t to ESPN