NBA star Kyrie Irving has made a generous $50,000 donation to support a new youth center in Cleveland, established in memory of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer in 2014.
The donation came as part of a fundraiser launched by Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, in honor of what would have been her son’s 23rd birthday. Hosted on GoFundMe, the campaign asks supporters to contribute $23, a symbolic tribute to each year Tamir should have had.
See the GoFundMe page HERE
Tamir Rice was killed on November 22, 2014, when officer Timothy Loehmann shot him within seconds of arriving at a local park where the child was playing with a toy gun. The case drew national outrage and has remained a symbol of the larger fight for police accountability and racial justice.
Now, through the Tamir Rice Foundation, Samaria is working to turn her grief into action. She’s raising funds to develop a center for inner-city youth in a building she recently purchased in Cleveland, with plans to use it for art programs and cultural development aimed at empowering local children.
“I miss my son so much each and every day,” she wrote on the fundraiser page. “As our family approaches Tamir’s 23rd birthday, I’m asking for $23 for 23 years without him. I purchased a building in the city of Cleveland to give back to our inner city youth with art and cultural developments.”
The campaign, launched on June 9, has since raised more than $85,000 of its $110,000 goal, thanks in large part to Irving’s major contribution on June 25. The All-Star point guard joined more than 1,180 donors in supporting Samaria’s vision.
Irving, who has a long track record of philanthropic efforts, recently made headlines for reportedly opting out of his existing deal with the Dallas Mavericks to re-sign on a new three-year, $119 million extension. He helped lead the team to the NBA Finals this past season, where they fell to the Boston Celtics. Currently recovering from an ACL injury, Irving is expected to miss the early part of the upcoming season.
Despite his time away from the court, Irving continues to make an impact off it; this time by helping to ensure Tamir’s legacy lives on through a safe space and creative outlet for Cleveland’s next generation.