By Katie Byard Akron Beacon Journal
A white 15-passenger van crept along the streets of Bath Township; behind it trailed a Chevy Surburban.
On board both vehicles, all boxed up by the dozen, were what will forever be known as The Apology cupcakes.
Tuesday evening, the owners and employees of Baker Blvd. Decadent Desserts in Fairlawn dropped off the cupcakes to surprised residents in LeBron James’ neighborhood in Bath Township.
It was the James family’s sweet way of saying it was sorry. Included with the individual boxes of cupcakes was an apologetic note from James for the chaos earlier this month in the neighborhood.
Fans and news reporters crowded outside James’ Idlebrook Drive home after he announced he was leaving the Miami Heat to return to the Cavaliers.
“It was exciting” making the surprise deliveries, said co-owner LaKisha Williams. “I tell you, just to hear what the neighbors thought about this sweet gesture. LeBron and his family, they just wanted to say ‘Thank you.’ It’s been crazy over there, all the cars over there.”
Baker Blvd.’s Wendy Boes, who goes by the title Zen Baker, said some neighbors “were shocked, and a little bit hesitant,” not knowing what was going on. Once they realized it was a delivery from James and his family, Boes said, “they said things like ‘Oh my gosh, I have goose bumps, this is so exciting.’ ”
Baker Blvd. — which helps to raise money for the LeBron Family Foundation thought the sale of two flavors of cupcakes commissioned by the foundation — made 65 dozen cupcakes for the neighbors and five dozen for Bath Township police and a security guard outside LeBron’s property. That’s 840 cupcakes in all.
LaKisha Williams and employees baked the cupcakes Tuesday morning, and iced them Tuesday afternoon. Around 7 p.m., they loaded them into the vehicles and then spent about 90 minutes making the deliveries. They left a note for residents who weren’t home, saying they could pick up their cupcakes at the bakery at 2890 Sand Run Parkway.
A note accompanying the cupcakes said, “We know things have been hectic in the neighborhood these past few weeks and we are sorry for the chaos. We are so thankful to live in this wonderful community and we are so blessed to have understanding neighbors like you.
“As a gesture of our gratitude and appreciation, our family wants to give you something that is meaningful to us, our foundation’s cupcakes. We hope you enjoy the treat! Savannah, LeBron, Bronny and Bryce.”
James’ neighbors received six Baker Blvd. “Just a Kid from Akron Cherry Cola” cupcakes and six “Homecourt Chocolate Chunk” cup cakes. Both flavors were created on behalf of the LeBron James Family Foundation.
Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of the two flavors go to the foundation’s Wheels For Education program, which is designed to improve high school graduation rates in Akron.
Baker Blvd. began selling the vanilla cupcake with cherry cola frosting in the spring — months before James revealed in a Sports Illustrated letter published online July 11 that he was coming home to play basketball after four years in Miami.
The “Home Court” chocolate chunk cupcake made its debut the day after LeBron’s announcement.
Now, like everything else LeBron these days, news of the sweet gesture has gone viral, with news outlets and blogs posting neighbors’ pictures of their cupcakes.
“@KingJames Showing love for the neighborhood!!! Thanks for the cupcakes,” tweeted one neighbor.
