Stephen and Ayesha Curry are doubling down on their Oakland-based nonprofit Eat. Learn. Play. The NBA superstar and his wife announced today a new movement to raise and invest $50 million in additional support and resources on behalf of Oakland public school students aimed at its three pillars of nutrition, education and physical activity.
Among the highlights: a goal of providing more than 6 million healthy school meals every year to the district’s nearly 35,000 students and 85 schools; utilization of the foundation’s first-of-its-kind Eat. Learn. Play. Bus as a mobile resource center that is revved up to provide 25,000 nutritious meals and 100,000 culturally affirming books annually to Oakland youth and their families; plans to transform 25 schoolyards throughout Oakland as well as helping revitalize school sports programs; and remodeling six schoolyards at Oakland Unified School District campuses that will also serve surrounding neighborhoods, providing safe and high-quality schoolyards for active play, including state-of-the-art multi-sport courts, mini soccer pitches, community gardens, outdoor classrooms and reading areas, murals and more, among other initiatives.
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“When we launched Eat. Learn. Play. in 2019, we saw the tremendous need that existed in our adopted hometown of Oakland and set out to use our platform and resources to work to unlock the full potential of the kids in our community,” said Steph and Ayesha Curry in a joint statement. “Over the years, we’ve been inspired by the impact that happens when a community comes together to make a change, and we are now further invested to meet Oakland kids where they are each and every day, to transform their school experience and create lasting change for generations to come.”
Per today’s release, the Currys will continue to cover 100 percent of Eat. Learn. Play.’s administrative and fundraising costs as a way to ensure that all funds raised are funneled directly into the community through the organization’s programming. The push is said to be part of Eat. Learn. Play.’s new vision that comes after a year-long strategic planning process that involved its board of directors, community partners and leaders, issue-area experts and focused research and analysis.
Eat. Learn. Play. has so far raised more than $47 million to serve Oakland kids and families, including delivering more than 25 million meals, investing $6 million in literacy resources and support, and revitalizing 12 school and community play spaces, among other initiatives.
“We often say ‘it takes a village’ when it comes to improving the lives of children and families,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. “This expanded approach and partnership with [Oakland Unified School District] reflects how our community partners are coming together to ensure all Oakland students have access to quality school meals throughout the year.”
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