WASHINGTON — After donating $10 million to his hometown, Golden State Warriors star small forward Kevin Durant was celebrated at Suitland High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Tuesday night.
“This is indeed a great day for us,” said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker. “We’re all very proud when someone who’s a hometown person not only goes off and does well, but understands the blessings that they have, and they want to give back.”
“This evening is about a young man who’s done well and has gone off and has made us very proud on the basketball court. And if he left it there, that would be great, but he didn’t.”
Speaking at the event, Durant joked about the route he used to take to walk to Drew Freeman Middle School and the flood of memories that came back to him.
“To see it come full circle now is a dream come true,” Durant said. “I would like to thank everyone in this room for making this dream become a reality.”
“This is not just for today — this is for empowering these kids to believe in themselves and know that there’s more than what they see right now. There’s a bigger life out there. There’s more of the world that they need to see.”
Durant’s donation was done in partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools and College Track, an after school program that helps disadvantaged kids get into college.
The College Track program is set to open later this year and will be the first of its kind in the East Coast.
“Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity,” Durant said. “Been thinking about it for a long, long time. I can’t wait to see the process build out in the future.”
The program’s 10-year plan gives underprivileged students the tools to get into college: tutoring, test preparation and resources on how to get financial aid and find the right college.
Media were barred from attending Tuesday’s event.
Video, seen below, was posted to YouTube by Baker.
