Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was playing Santa in the East Bay on Wednesday as he and his wife, Ayesha, were spreading the holiday cheer and trying to inspire kids to read.
Curry is used to getting an ovation, but it feels a little different when it comes from a crowd of schoolchildren at Madison Park Academy in Oakland.
“It's definitely rewarding. It's definitely fun. It never gets old," he said. "It's why we love the work that we get to do."
For the past dozen years, Steph and his wife, Ayesha, have spread holiday cheer to the Oakland community with their annual "Christmas with the Currys" event.
This year's theme was "giving joy," and there were plenty of activities to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. There was a book fair, petting zoo, games and crafts to fuel creativity and help kids grow through the power of reading and storytelling.
“To see just how impactful just having these resources are and realizing that sometimes is the lack of the ability to read is because the resources aren't there and knowing that we can fill that void, I think is really, really special,” Ayesha Curry said.
Since 2019, the Currys have teamed up with the Eat. Learn. Play Foundation and several other partners to provide resources and unforgettable experiences to kids and families most in need.
“Because of the Curry’s, we're investing $20 million a year back into Oakland students and their schools," said Chris Helfrich, president and CEO of the Eat. Learn. Play Foundation. "Giving them the support and the resources that they need to thrive because Oakland kids deserve that."
Each year's holiday celebration brings together about 2,000 East Bay residents and provides more than $3 million of gifts and resources, from new playgrounds to renovating school libraries to thousands of one-on-one tutoring sessions.
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“I hope they leave feeling inspired. I hope they leave feeling empowered. Like they can do anything," Ayesha Curry said. "Most importantly, I hope they realize that there are people in their corner."
