CLEVELAND — NBA All-Star Game Weekend has come and gone, but its impact in the Cleveland area could be felt for some time to come. 

What You Need To Know

  • A number of local and national charities benefited from the NBA All-Star Game Weekend coming to Cleveland

  • One of the largest beneficiaries was the I Promise School, which was help founded by Akron native and Lakers star LeBron James

  • Other organizations, such as the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio and the Kids’ Book Bank also benefited from the festivities

While area businesses enjoyed a bump in tourism, area nonprofits benefited from a number of charitable endeavors tied to the game. Notably, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and The Kent State University I Promise Scholars Program were among the organizations that benefited from the game. 

The two charities earned $150,000 automatically through the NBA with additional funds awarded based on the performance of the two NBA All-Star teams.

Team Durant raised $300,000 for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. I Promise earned $450,000 as Team LeBron won Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. The program is also a beneficiary of the LeBron James Family Foundation. 

“We have already seen the impressive results that the I Promise Program is having on its participating students,” said Melody Tankersley, Kent State’s senior vice president and provost. “We are so pleased that Kent State is the next step in the educational journey of these amazing young people, and so happy that we can start them on their way to exciting careers and lives full of inspiration.”

Prior to the game, the NBA provided volunteers for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Volunteers helped assemble 1,500 shelf-stable lunches, pack 1,875 pounds of snacks and donate a total of 1,248 backpacks.

Other local charities benefited from the game. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio is having its King Kennedy Boys and Girls Club renovated with a new court. Additionally, NBA player DeAndre' Bembry, the nonprofit Shoes That Fit and the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation teamed to provide 250 children from the club with shoes and socks. 

Leading up to the game, Cavs players Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro joined other NBA players to pack thousands of books for the Kids’ Book Bank. The books will be sent to children throughout the area. 

The NBPA Foundation announced grants totaling $50,000 to support sports programming in schools around Cleveland.  The NBPA said the donation will go specifically to Playworks, a national nonprofit that supports learning and physical health by providing safe and inclusive play to low-income students in urban areas.

“Each year, All-Star Weekend gives the NBPA Foundation an opportunity to engage with the host city and support local community organizations focused on causes our players are passionate about,” said Lyzz Ogunwo, acting executive director of the NBPA Foundation.  “We are thrilled to support these organizations and their important work.”

Some national organizations also benefited from the NBA All-Star Game. A $100,000 donation was made to both Morgan State and Howard for participating in Saturday’s HBCU Classic. A $40,000 donation was made to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund — $4,000 for each of the 4-point shots made during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday.

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