The LeBron James Family Foundation and Hewlett-Packard have joined forces to donate 1,000 new computers to 59 different Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. The money comes from the $3 million LeBron raised for charity during his one-hour “The Decision” special, where he announced he would join the Miami Heat. First stop? The Miami Boys & Girls Club.
The side door to the newly refurbished gym opened, a blast of sunlight splashed into the darkened corner, and 100 children began shrieking in unison.
“It never gets old,” James said. “I know a lot comes with being a professional athlete. That’s also being a role model to a lot of kids that look up to me. This automatically comes with it. And I have nothing but time for kids. I could easily be at home and just relaxing. … But the opportunity to be here and giving back to these kids, I’m happy to do it.”
Boys & Girls Clubs Vice President Frank Sanchez says what James is providing will impact “hundreds of thousands of kids” nationwide, giving them a chance to stand on equal footing with kids in other communities. The northwest Miami neighborhood that hosted Wednesday’s event has a high school graduation rate between 50 and 60 percent. Providing computers to this community should help raise that graduation rate and provide a bridge across the digital divide.
“We don’t do celebrity sponsorships,” said Satjiv Chahil, HP’s Strategic Advisor for Global Market Development. “We celebrate achievers from society who have multifaceted lives, who have an appreciation for technology and who have a human cause. … We celebrate LeBron.”