The Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the eighth annual Tyronn Lue Community Day of Service on Sept. 20. This year marks the first time C2C has cosponsored the event. Dana Keller, executive director of the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce, created the Tyronn Lue Day of Service in 2016 after Coach Lue, then head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, gave a public shoutout to his hometown of Mexico, Missouri during a post-game interview following the team’s National Championship victory.

“Coach Lue always recognizes his hometown on the biggest days of his career,” Keller said. “The Tyronn Lue Day of Service is a way that we can come together as a community and do our part in making Mexico a great place to live and work.”

For the past 15 years, Coach Lue has shown his unwavering commitment to the Mexico community by hosting an annual July 4th Community Day. The C2C team has continued this engagement by leading a series of community conversations, where residents, youth, business owners, faith leaders, elders, families, and civic leaders gathered to share their vision for the town’s future. The passion and voices of the community shaped the C2C plan, which aims to create lasting pathways to upward mobility and opportunity in Mexico.

“For me, success means nothing if I can’t share it with others,” said Coach Lue. “That’s why I’m committed to expanding my community efforts, focusing on long-term, sustainable, and equitable impact. I want to improve the lives of Mexico residents by fostering deep community engagement and meaningful partnerships.”

The 2024 Day of Service continued this tradition by bringing together residents, businesses, and students for a day dedicated to community service. Nearly 70 businesses and organizations participated in one or more service projects. In addition to local businesses, students from Mexico Public Schools (pre-K through eighth grade), St. Brendan School, and Missouri Military Academy (MMA) volunteered throughout town. The business community, civic organizations, and individual volunteers worked together on a range of projects, including beautification efforts, collection drives, and the start of longer-term community campaigns. Mexico High School students integrated community service into their homecoming week celebrations. In recognition of their efforts, Coach Lue surprised the students at a school assembly and thanked them for their service.

“No matter where I go in the world, Mexico will always be my home,” said Coach Lue. “I want to thank you all for being a part of the day of service. I witnessed many of you participating in different service projects today, and I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you did. I love being back home in Mexico.”

For more information about the Tyronn Lue Day of Service, visit the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook group or contact Dana Keller at dkeller@mexico-chamber.org.