Charlotte Hornets owner and basketball legend Michael Jordan recently unveiled a $500,000 investment in charities working with literacy. In addition to serving as cash for charities, the money will include the cost of building and stocking 18 libraries with books at child care centers and community centers serving children in low-income neighborhoods. These organizations include the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Foundation, Freedom School Partners, Child Care Resources Inc., and CrossRoads Corp.
“He’s a local celebrity who can give to a lot of causes, but when he chooses to give to early literacy, it puts a face on the issue,” Carolyn Hazeldine of Child Care Resources Inc. told the Charlotte Observer. “It tells people in the community that this is important.”
“When I took over majority control of the team, one of the biggest impacts I wanted … was to reconnect back to the community,” Jordan told volunteers gathered for the Hornets’ annual day of community service. “I felt that connection was lost a little bit with the previous ownership, and I felt it was very important.”
According to the Charlotte Observer, Jordan and the Hornets have “given away more than $3 million for causes related to education, hunger, wellness and the military” since Jordan took majority ownership of the team.
“Six years later, here we are. … I am very proud of the commitment of the organization to the community. … My dedication, my drive, is to continue to connect with this community,” Jordan said.
Three of the libraries will hold 1,500 books each. The other 15 will hold 500 books each.
