Kyrie Irving Donates $50K For Tamir Rice Youth Center
NBA star and activist Kyrie Irving has donated $50,000 to a fundraiser launched to support the creation of a youth center honoring the legacy of Tamir Rice.
Nearly a decade after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was killed by Cleveland police, his name continues to echo, not as a headline but rather a call to action. This week, NBA star point guard Kyrie Irving answered that call with a powerful donation of $50,000 to the Tamir Rice Foundation, bringing a grassroots fundraiser to over $85,000, a huge step closer to its $110,000 goal.
The campaign, launched on June 9 by Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, was created to honor what would have been Tamir’s 23rd birthday. The GoFundMe campaign was designed to help further develop a building she purchased in Cleveland as a space for youth enrichment, asking donors to give $23 in honor of the 23 years her son would have lived had he not been gunned down by police.
“I miss my son so much each and every day,” Samaria wrote on the fundraiser page. “As our family approaches Tamir’s 23rd birthday, I’m asking for 23 dollars 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.”
Tamir Rice was just 12 years old when he was tragically shot and killed by Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann while playing in a park with a toy gun in 2014. The killing sparked national outrage and became a heartbreaking symbol of police brutality against Black children.
Now, a little over a decade later, Samaria Rice is working to turn that pain into purpose through the Tamir Rice Foundation.
“I have already invested into this beautiful historical building with [all your] support,” Rice continued. “The help you all already have given Tamir’s legacy we are forever appreciative. We now have a new team to help us follow this through. I’m almost finished. I will not let my community down or anyone who believes in the vision. Trust me—you will see the results.”
Irving’s donation, made on June 25, is the largest received to date, but it’s not unusual for Irving, who’s been putting his money where his mouth is for years. From standing in solidarity with Eric Garner’s family by wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt back in 2014, to supporting Indigenous communities, HBCUs, and social justice movements, giving back is who he is.
Kyrie Irving’s latest act of generosity follows news that the New Jersey-bred point guard opted out of his previous deal and is expected to sign a three-year, $119 million contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks, a team he helped lead to the NBA Finals last season before falling to the Boston Celtics. The new deal will keep the point guard in Dallas for an additional three years when he can activate a player option for the 2027-28 season, according to sources. Irving is currently nursing an ACL injury suffered during the last NBA season.
Kyrie may be sidelined with an ACL injury, but clearly, the work hasn’t stopped. And neither has Samaria Rice.
With just under $25,000 left to raise, this campaign is more than a fundraiser; it’s a community call to action to honor Tamir by building something for the next generation that lasts, and thanks to Kyrie Irving, that vision is one step closer to becoming real.
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