Charles Barkley is in the mood to give back.
On Tuesday, May 18, the “Round Mound of Rebound” donated a generous amount of money and school supplies once again to his alma mater, Leeds High School, in Alabama. The announcement of the gift was made on the Leeds City Schools Facebook page, and it revealed that Barkley donated $1,000 to each of the high school’s 226 employees and supplies for the students.
It reads, “Through the years, the Leeds School System has been fortunate to have the support of its biggest fan and most famous graduate, Charles Barkley, Class of 1981. Over the past three decades, Charles has quietly and without any attention drawn to himself, provided over $3 million in scholarships to Leeds graduates, funds that have helped hundreds of students attend college. Charles has also been a huge supporter of both the boys and girls basketball programs at Leeds High — he’s even known to show up occasionally to cheer on the Greenwave.”
While attending Leeds, Barkley used his skills on the court to take his beloved high school to the state semifinals in 1981. This is where he caught the attention of college scouts, including Auburn University in his home state, where he played for three seasons before being selected fifth overall in the stacked 1984 NBA draft that included Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Later on in the message the high school thanked the 11-time NBA All-Star and 1993 MVP “for providing a $1,000 gift to each and every Leeds City Schools employee for going the extra mile this school year.” The message continued, “Being a school employee is tough, but driving a bus, teaching, coaching, or working in the cafeteria, all while maintaining safety protocols, has been a daunting task during a worldwide pandemic.”
In addition to donating money, the “NBA on TNT” host also “secured laptops for virtual learners, Wifi hotspots, and donations from Clorox Corporation,” to assist the students as they continue to get their education during the pandemic.
This isn’t the first time he’s expressed his generosity to a school. He’s also donated $1 million each to HBCUs like Clark Atlanta University, Tuskegee University, Morehouse College, and more.
