LeBron kicks it into high gear at bike-a-thon for kids

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NBA star LeBron James hosted a bike-a-thon this weekend in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

James said that while most of the money raised from the event goes to charities, he thinks it is equally important that the kids participating have fun.

“When I can see the kids have a smile on their face it means more to me than anything, and that’s why I continue to do this,” he said.

James danced with the local kids. His young sons LeBron Jr. and Bryce also got in on the act.

The Cavaliers’ superstar was joined by his coach Mike Brown, New Orleans guard Chris Paul and TV host Nick Cannon.

“Its all about health and wellness and having an awareness of all of that we got to encourage the next generation to take care of themselves and step away from the TV step away from the video games and have fun like we use to,” Cannon said.

Although the one-mile journey was fun for the kids, the adult 8-mile ride through Akron wasn’t your average ride in the park.

Randy Mims took his children out on the trail for some old fashion exercise.

“It’s definitely a good workout,” he said. “You have to be in shape and be prepared. This is a real ride.”

The bike-a-thon was one of many free events LeBron hosted. At the Summit Lake Community Park, LeBron rewarded “Game Changers” – young people who are doing positive things in their communities.

LeBron thanked the city of Akron for all of their support but he gave a special thanks to his mother, Gloria James.

“She means everything,” James said of his mom. “She is the reason why I am here and able to stand in front of you guys because she raised me by herself and I’ve seen how strong she was to do it by herself. So it’s automatically made me become stronger and made me grow up faster than kids want to, but it set me up in life to become who I am today.”