LeBron James has announced that all students at the LeBron James Family Foundation I Promise School will receive a free bicycle and helmet. Students will also receive uniforms, meals, and their grade school education as well as tuition to the University of Akron. Initially, the school will launch with 240 third and fourth grade students, with a plan to expand to first through eighth grades over the course of the next four years.
In an interview with Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal, James explained that having a bike was fundamentally important to his childhood, giving him the freedom to explore the city, meet friends, and play basketball. “Me and my friends, when we got on our bikes, we would just ride. Sometimes we would even get lost, because we’d be gone for so long. But there was a sense of joy and comfort. There was nothing that really could stop us. We felt like we were on top of the world.”
Bravo, LeBron James! Founding this school is an incredible gesture. Among all the other wonderful aspects of this plan, we wanted to take the time to appreciate his decision to give the students bikes. As James says, bicycles provide a sense of freedom, as well as helping children develop independence and gain familiarity with their neighborhoods. Way to go!