Kenmore | Earned Not Given #RepYourHood
There were rumblings in downtown Akron, Ohio of an appearance of a secret black ops team who are only known as "The Foundation". On the warm summer’s night of August 18th, 2015, the mysterious gang of characters was spotted on The University of Akron’s campus. With a blaring police escort, the group pulled up in a large vehiclewith tinted windows. Entering the track and field complex where the Kenmore football team was having a community meeting, the Foundation turned toward the crowd and stood quietly in their all black attire and sunglasses so that the message on their shirts was made visible.
There was a phrase on each shirt that created a complete statement. From left to right they read, "In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given, everything is earned," with the logo of their organization at the end. A few brief moments later a helicopter emerged from over Infocision Stadium and loomed over the field. With a fly-by for the crowd, the helicopter touched down in the center of the field.
The doors opened and two similar looking figures appeared, only… they were carrying two peculiar parcels that were not previously seen with the rest of the group. As the two jogged toward their team members and raised the objects in the air, it became apparent what they were. They were holding two football helmets, and some pretty sharp ones at that. The two joined the others completing the statement with the words, "You work for what you have," printed on their shirts. As they stepped into place, a mannequin with the helmet on and matching attire was rolled out to center stage.
The leader of the bunch stepped forward and delivered a speech that explained everything…
As a team, you have been leaders in the community with the way you have conducted yourself on and off the field. Akron Public Schools has identified you as having played with exemplary sportsmanship and having gone into every test ahead of you as a team. Teamwork and togetherness is extremely important to bringing about success. You have done a great job of implementing this as a unit. You are role models to the Wheels for Education and Akron I PROMISE Network students and they look up to you just as they look up to LeBron. You have earned this because of how you have put these ideals into action. Now you can represent your school not only with character but with style. Look good, feel good, play good. Continue to work hard. Every class, every test, every practice, every game, give it all you got. STRIVE FOR GREATNESS!
To the surprise of many and contrary to an abundance of circulating rumors, this band of people was not in fact a highly trained organization of super spies. However, this was the charitable organization known as the LeBron James Family Foundation. LeBron and his Foundation Team wanted to reward a sports team in the Akron area for exemplary sportsmanship on and off the field.
For their hard work in bettering their school and their community, LeBron had the idea of gifting the Kenmore Cardinals High School football team with brand new, state of the art, Nike uniforms. Black and red gradient helmets with a chrome cardinal decal, red jerseys and pants with custom lettering, and the best football socks on the market were included in the package. On the back of the jerseys, where a team nickname or player last name usually reads, there is the phrase "I PROMISE".
This will serve as a reminder tothe team that they are not out on the field solely for the purpose of gaining success as an individual, but to also lift their teammates, neighbors, family, and community through their character and leadership. The Kenmore uniform drop is the first of hopefully many more to come. With the hope of doing one every month in the foreseeable future, the Foundation has their eye out for any team, club, or organization in an Akron Public Schools high school that goes about their passion with integrity and honor.
The Cardinals expressed the motto of the Foundation, the theme that is so prevalent with the requirements of the reward, and the motivation for their actions within their community when they broke out into their team chant after the reveal. They exclaimed: "WE ALL WE GOT. WE ALL WE NEED. WE ARE… FAMILY!!!"
