This is not about a generous gift.
This is about responsibility.
Pete Kadens grew up in Toledo, Ohio.
There was no financial insecurity in his home, and with his GPA, he could pick the college of his choice.
After graduating, he co-founded and was the CEO of Green Thumb Industries, the largest publicly-traded, legal cannabis operator in the U.S.
He retired at 40, and was lauded by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Council which stated..
Pete Kadens currently serves as the chairman of the Kadens Family Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to closing the pervasive wealth and education gaps in the U.S.
As a high schooler, he played ball.
A frequent opponent of his wealthy high school was Scott High, the most disadvantaged high school in Toledo.
"I remember vividly, when I was growing up, 25-30 years ago, that Scott was the most under resourced, under-served school then, and unfortunately not much has changed."
And his wife’s grandfather attended Scott High School more than 70 years ago
He never forgot just how fortunate he was.
And he knew where his responsibility lay.
"I had to come back to my hometown, the community that gave me my tools, and give back."
And it wasn’t just with the students.
But also and included the parents that did the best with what they had.
The 140 seniors were asked to come to the gym for an assembly...and to bring a parent.
There was one thing that they no longer had to worry about.
Please note….this was not a gift.
“What became of my life was as much a factor of the inequities that exist in our society today as it was my skills and my work ethic.
There were many kids who were smart and capable but didn't have the same opportunities as others because of their financial situations.”
He knows that he didn’t win at life fair-and-square.
No, never say the word ‘gift.’
He was fulfilling a responsibility.
And an obligation.
“Martin Luther King always said that history has a long and sordid path of people and groups with privilege protecting their privilege.
Well, i’m done protecting my privilege.”
Kaden started the H.O.P.E. Toledo initiative, an educational funding program that aims to provide under-resourced public school students access to post-secondary education through community donations.
The goal is to raise $100 million so that all students in Toledo and their parents can go to college, debt-free.
And Pete always has met his goals.
So far, eleven businessmen and women have pledged to do similar acts in their own hometowns in the coming year.
"Yesterday was really life-altering. I thought they were just lying when they said it was going to change your life. It really did change my life, I never cry and I cried yesterday," said senior I.Am Torres.
“And my moms, too. She’ll graduate with me!”
I think of a quote that Jerry Garcia told a reporter when asked why he was fighting so hard to save the Brazilian rainforest.
And he said…
Somebody has to do something. It seems incredibly, in, in fact, it seems pathetic that it has to be us, you know?
So until the day….and it’s coming soon, friends...that everyone will have the right to go to college, to have free medical care, have a more equitable playing field…
...we do what we can for those around us.
We climb a mountain, and at times, we stop, turn around and reach out our hand to those behind us, so they can grab hold and reach the top with us.
Together.
It’s about responsibility.
It has to be us...you know?