LeBron James’ $1 million gym grant gave Akron kids more opportunities through his I PROMISE School(Image via Getty Images)
In May 2019, the NBA star announced a $1 million grant from the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation to build a gym at his I PROMISE School. During the May 2019 announcement, he said, “I believe the sky is the limit for these kids and the results we’re seeing are just the beginning.
“To my kids, this is more than a gym,” James said in a video shared by the Akron Beacon Journal around the announcement. He said sports could benefit children in different areas of life and welcomed the chance to provide that space at the school. “Leaving things better than we found them has always been at the heart of what we do,” the foundation said in its social media post about the students’ work.
LeBron James has invested in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, through his work with children and families. The facility would give students a safe place for physical education and after-school activities. James wanted children to have access to the same opportunities that helped shape his own childhood. James also spoke about the potential he saw in the students. He added that the foundation understood the value of sports, something he had experienced growing up with his teammates and later with his own children.