Lebron has never let his fame go to his head. He set up the Lebron James Family Foundation. The foundation raises and donates money for several charities.

These include Boys and Girls Clubs of America, After-School All-Stars, the Children’s Defense Fund, Gabriel’s Angle Foundation and ONEXONE.

Here are 5 of the biggest charities that Lebron James donates to:

After-School All-Stars
Lebron’s Foundation began the After-School All-Stars for the children of his hometown, Akron. The Foundation has raised money and donated to the charity for many years. It began as a bike-a-thon, “Wheels For Education” to raise money for children in Akron to have help with education and a place to go after school. It developed into a program to help “at risk” children of Akron in a variety of ways. The program provides mentoring and help with education as well as extracurricular activities. The goal is to keep kids in school and encourage them to graduate. It begins in the third grade when students need to reach state standards to move up to the fourth grade.

The program provides reading and math help for children who need the mentoring and discourages them from dropping out of school before graduating. Overall, Lebron’s Foundation has raised over $40 million for the program. Recently, Lebon teamed with the University of Akron to provide scholarships. The children must participate in the program and parents are encouraged to participate. Lebron is very involved with the program. When he cannot be there, he connects with the children via social media. The program currently sponsors over 800 children. The first graduating class will be in 2021. The scholarship covers $9500 annual college tuition for each student. Lebron hopes to extend the program throughout the state of Ohio.

Muhammad Ali: A Force For Change
Most recently, Lebron James donated money for the exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s exhibit honoring boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The exhibit entitled “Muhammad Ali: A Force For Change” spans two parts of the museum honoring Ali, one celebrating his stellar boxing career and one celebrating his social activism. Lebron donated $2.5 million to the exhibit, joining Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in contributing. Lebrom has said that Ali was an important inspiration to him as an athlete but also as a champion of justice. Lebron admired the boxing legend, who passed away in June 2016 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, for Ali’s passion, goals and morals during and after the civil rights movement.

Boys and Girls Club of America
Lebron James designated $2.5 million of the proceeds from ESPN’s “The Decision” special to Boys and Girls Clubs of America. While in Miami, Lebron was very involved in Miami’s club. The club helps give all children equal opportunities and provides after school mentoring and activities. Lebron and his wife designed and donated furniture to the Miami club through Home Court Furniture. They replaced the roof and fixed up the children’s work space. They donated 1000 new computers to 59 Boys and Girls Clubs throughout America.

Children’s Defense Fund
The Children’s Defense Fund started in 1973. Its purpose is to be a voice for children’s rights and make sure that all children are treated equally and fairly. Lebron James’ Foundation is a major contributor to the non profit organization. As with the After-School All-Stars, the program focuses on “at risk” children who come from poor backgrounds and helps these children complete their education.

ONEXONE
ONEXONE also focuses on the support of children. Their mission includes taking care of children by helping them with the 5 pillars: hunger, health, education, water and play. Like After-School All-Stars, the organization uses donations to provide help to those children who need it and encourages them by giving them hope and a sense of pride. The program provides healthy breakfasts in schools, water, medical help, educational help and after school activities. As with most of Lebron’s charitable causes, he especially gives back to the children. His Foundation is a major donator to ONEXONE. Clearly, Lebron James never forgot the humble beginnings he came from. Without the help and encouragement of mentors like his mother and the Waller family, Lebron may not have had the opportunity to achieve the success he has. His talent as a basketball player and his humanitarian spirit have inspired Lebron to give back. He never let his ego get in the way of giving back to those who inspired him and to the children.

via : blackeoejournal