Former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”. While Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha have certainly accumulated millions over the years through their own means, they have also done more than their part in giving back to the community. Through the ‘Eat.Learn.Play.’ Foundation, the Currys has made strides by providing children in the Oakland community with nutritious meals, educational materials, and resources that help in their overall development. Now, through the foundation, the NBA power couple has taken yet another step toward keeping the community safe.

Kron 4 journalist Amy Larson recently reported that Stephen Curry and Ayesha have donated over $650,000. The money has assisted in the installation of water filtration stations in around 60 elementary, middle, and high schools. The effort was undertaken by the couple and the foundation amidst reports of high levels of lead found in the water systems. The same stands out as a potential health hazard for students. As highlighted by Larson, 200 fountains and faucets in Oakland Unified School District buildings were found contaminated. The foundation did not go into making this effort alone.

They teamed up with the Kaiser Permanente and TomKat Foundation. Several FloWater Refill Stations have now been installed inside OUSD schools. They provide over 34,000 students with safe and filtered drinking water.

According to the Foundation, the first round of testing found 82% of the water outlets to be below the District-mandated standard. Another test found that 90% of the faucets, fountainheads, and water bottles were affected. Therefore, since September of last year, efforts have been made to improve the situation. However, the foundation admits that this is only a short-term solution. It reveals that in collaboration with OUSD, and an additional $2 million, future phases will see 88 more filtration stations purchased. Furthermore, the remaining schools will be tested, and other water fixtures will be replaced. Even if the effort only helped serve short-term needs, it was still a commendable one.

“We are so thankful to Stephen, Ayesha, Eat. Learn. Play., Kaiser Permanente, and Kat Taylor for stepping in at this critical time,” said Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, a Superintendent at OUSD. “The health and well-being of our students is our top priority, and this funding provides significant support to help us address this serious health issue while we work on long-term solutions.”

The more than half-a-million contribution is just one step that Stephen Curry and Ayesha have undertaken to make the Oakland community a better place. Their overall efforts, over the years, can be deemed nothing short of commendable.

Curry couple’s other steps to help the Oakland community

One of the first ways that the ‘Eat.Learn.Play’ Foundation’s efforts came to the spotlight was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Steph and Ayesha helped to contribute at least $10 per meal to local restaurants. This helped in the preparation and distribution of over 2.6 million meals within the community back in 2020. The initiative had a dual benefit. After all, the money provided helped over 130 Oakland restaurants, that were shut down due to the pandemic, re-open and even hire back their staff!

Within five years of the foundation’s establishment, the team raised over $47 million to provide nutritious meals and quality reading resources. The year 2024 saw Ayesha and Steph increasing their charitable contributions. By the end of August, the couple had pledged over $25 million to the Oakland School Community.

According to reports, the amount is set to be spread over five years. The same will assist in providing around 10,000 spots for elementary school students who fall behind in reading. The money would even provide one-on-one professional tutoring for those in need of it. The foundation works alongside the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in this effort. It is the hope that by 2029, over 4,500 students will be tutored per year.

The fact that the $25 million donation came hours after the Warriors star signed a 1-year, $62.9 million contract speaks volumes.

For over 5 years, Stephen Curry has hosted the Workday Charity Classic Golf Tournament. Along with speaking about the NBA star’s interest in golf, it also helps to raise proceeds. Discussing its impact, Ayesha Curry had stated “We’re parents ourselves. We have 4 little ones. No parent should have to feel like they can’t help their child with something as simple as reading. So, for us to be able to combine all these amazing community partners and be able to help get these kids reading and excited about reading, I think it’s the best.”

Through their work, Ayesha and Stephen Curry make a better world for a specific community. While its impact props up slowly, we are sure to witness its long-term benefits in the future.