Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

If you caught a copy of last Sunday’s Akron Beacon Journal, you may have seen a spread of hundreds of smiling faces staring back at you. But this full page, full color ad wasn’t designed to sell a product or solicit business. Instead, this was a heartfelt thank you from LeBron, his Foundation, and the thousands of Akron kids that The University of Akron has opened its arms and extended full college scholarships to. The colors were bright, the smiles were big, and the message was clear: Thank you for believing in our kids. But the 12"x 22" back page of the A section is not nearly enough space to express the gratitude, appreciation, and hope inspired by these scholarships, and it’s all thanks to The University of Akron and Dr. Scarborough.

When LeBron wrote, "Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get," in his homecoming essay, these were the kids he was talking about. With over a quarter of Akron’s population living below the poverty line and all of the students in Akron Public Schools receiving free lunches, these are families and kids that never thought college was possible. Now, thanks to The University of Akron and Dr. Scarborough’s belief in LeBron’s kids, more than 2,500 inner-city kids from Akron, Ohio have hope for a better future. Their guaranteed college scholarships open countless doors to endless possibilities. And with every college-educated Akron student comes a bigger and better future for the entire Akron community. Dr. Scarborough’s and The University of Akron’s investment in these kids will someday be repaid a thousand times over as LeBron’s kids become the next generation of Northeast Ohio’s leaders.

Thank you again, Dr. Scarborough and The University of Akron for believing in our kids. A long with all of our future Zips, we PROMISE to make you proud!