CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats announced Thursday a $200,000 donation to help high school students pay for college.
Jordan, other team officials and players visited three Charlotte high schools to announce the donation.
The team has partnered with FOX Sports Carolinas for the sponsorship Y Achievers, which is part of the YMCA, in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Jordan told the students, "I'm from North Carolina and I've seen the warmth within our communities, I grew up in it, so I feel obligated to give back to it."
Along with the sponsorship, the program will donate $5,000 to one student from West Charlotte, West Mecklenburg and Vance high schools to help fund their educational goals after graduation.
"The Bobcats and FOX Sports Carolinas/SportSouth are outstanding partners for our district, supporting the Y Achievers program as well as individual students with scholarships," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrison. "We are so honored to have them as partners and we appreciate the generosity and dedication to helping our students succeed in high school and beyond."
Y Achievers helps teens set and reach post-secondary education goals and has set its own goal of increasing the graduation rate from 73 percent to 90 percent by 2014.
Jordan and team officials were joined by players at the three schools for a day of service symposium, which included teaching about the business of basketball operations.