Stephen and Ayesha Curry turned the season of giving into a magical event for thousands of Oakland residents with their 12th annual “Christmas with the Currys” event. Hosted by their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, the celebration raised over $2,000,000 in resources, gifts, and support to the Oakland Unified School District and families.
Under the theme “Giving Joy,” the Currys and their foundation focused on spreading the love of reading in communities. The initiative, which began Dec. 4, included pop-up book fairs, book distributions, and surprises for students across OUSD. With donations of over 100,000 books to 18,000 elementary school students, the event additionally received a $200,000 contribution from the Safeway Foundation, which provided gift cards to 1,000 Oakland families. Eat. Learn. Play. also donated $500,000 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which delivered 1,000,000 meals to families in need.
“Each year, our creative and talented community of volunteers and supporters come together to bring the magic of the holiday season to life for more than 18,000 elementary school students in the Oakland Unified School District,” stated Stephen and Ayesha Curry. “Our theme this year is ‘Giving Joy’ and we have seen firsthand the joy students have through age-appropriate and diverse books that spark their imaginations and create a curiosity for new subjects.”
The Currys added, “Through the hard work of our team and our amazing partners, we’re excited to revitalize libraries throughout the new year and beyond to give kids a destination to read, learn and dream.” Building on their recent $25,000,000 literacy commitment, the Currys also announced plans to renovate elementary school libraries across OUSD starting next year. The revamped spaces will feature updated books, modern furniture, and resources to inspire young readers.
“’Christmas with the Currys’ is a wonderful annual celebration and it’s so much more. It’s a testament to the transformative power of community and partnership,” stated OUSD Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “The festivities at Madison Park Academy brought incredible joy and opportunities to our students, and the outreach to all 18,000 elementary school children across OUSD underscores the depth of the Currys’ and Eat. Learn. Play.’s commitment to Oakland.”
She added, “From sparking a love of reading through book distributions to revitalizing school libraries that will inspire learning for years to come, these initiatives exemplify their dedication to helping our students become the thoughtful leaders that our world needs. On behalf of Oakland Unified School District, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Currys and Eat. Learn. Play. for their unwavering support of our schools and students.”
The festivities also saw 200 elementary students enjoy activities ranging from a Pixar-guided installment to a holiday-themed petting zoo. Each child also received an Under Armour backpack filled with supplies and gifts from Rakuten and the Golden State Warriors. To cap it off, over 300 students received free tickets to see Hamilton at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre.
See images from the holiday event below.
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