photo by steed media service

Wayne Dawson was completely cloaked in the festive ambience at Richmond High School In Richmond Heights, Ohio, which hugs the edge of Cleveland’s corporate limit. The high school held a local celebrity basketball game in which Dawson served as one of the ceremonial coaches, to commemorate the boys basketball team’s undefeated season. But for Dawson, a news anchor for Fox 8 in Cleveland, the affair had a serious undercurrent to the merriment.

“It’s important to have a strong school system to be a great city,” says Dawson, who lived in the small city for 15 years and who returns frequently to give back to the community. “So I’m just supporting them and my friend, Richard Scott, who lives here. I have roots in Richmond Heights that run very deep.”

As the spotlight focuses on the remarkable boys basketball team, Dawson knows the team’s talent is particularly susceptible to being poached by the area’s traditional powerhouses. Many educators and activists have taken proactive steps to prevent pillaging of the team’s ranks. Nevertheless, Dawson believes there is an even greater reason for lending his presence. “I understand that they need to support the schools. I’m here not on behalf of the [TV] station, but on behalf of myself. Just to support the city, and then support the school system,” he says. “What we want to do is instill pride in them now so when they get to high school, they will stay here. Because these guys are so good, they may mess around and get recruited out. But we want them to have pride in Richmond Heights so they can stay here.” -terry shropshire

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