The LeBron James Family Foundation has partnered with XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation to pay tribute to the nation’s high school Class of 2020 with a special event on Saturday, May 16, beginning at 5 p.m. PT.
The ceremony has been dubbed “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” and is expected to feature a star-studded cast of athletes, musicians, and celebrities. Among the notable names slated to take part in the event are James himself, Alicia Keys, Kevin Hart, and a commencement speech from President Barack Obama.
Aside from the performance, the tribute will include content to honor more than 3 million high school seniors across the country. Meanwhile, TikTok is slated to host the #GraduateTogether After Party, which is the official Twitter hashtag for the event to help pay tribute to the Class of 2020. Dillon Francis is headlining the stable of DJs set to perform.
Snapchat is also participating by developing a new lens for senior portraits in an effort to create the largest yearbook ever made. To top it all off, proceeds that come from the event will be donated to DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund to assist students in under-resourced communities.
The show is scheduled to be one hour long, commercial-free and will be broadcast on every major network including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. It will also be streamed across all media platforms such as Bleacher Report, Facebook App, FOX Now, and Hulu.
James acknowledged that he sympathized with the seniors missing out on the opportunity to experience their graduation firsthand. As a result, he kickstarted the efforts to fund the primetime special as a small consolation amid the unfortunate circumstances due to COVID-19.
This was clearly an issue that hit close to home for James after beginning his passion project with the “I PROMISE” school back in Akron, Ohio. His desire to give the entire Class of 2020 a proper send off before beginning the next crucial chapter in their lives only serves to solidify this notion.