Steph and Ayesha Curry mark foundation’s third anniversary by taking Oakland kids out to the ballgame

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry nodded to all of the kids in green and yellow jerseys sitting in the sun, catching an afternoon contest at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday, and reflected on their latest memorable day in a long line of them.

The Currys’ foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., brought approximately 1,000 Oakland children to watch the A’s beat the Houston Astros 4-2 to celebrate the third anniversary of its founding. The foundation is fighting to end childhood hunger, to ensure that every child has access to quality education and to provide safe places for kids to play and be active.

“This is what you hope to see,” Stephen said of the turnout. “It’s meaningful, especially since it’s a relatively new foundation, and we’re still trying to grow it and bring more to it. You come out here, and you see the kids, and it tells you that you’re moving in the direction you want to move.”

The focus on movement always has been a vital part of Curry’s game on the court, leading to the fourth championship summer of his 12-year career. How many more such summers may be out there is what he says drives him now, with the championships bringing a renewal of the energy needed to chase the next one.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry reaches home plate while running the bases with Jace Anderson, 9, from Oakland, after the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: A young fan fist-bumps Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry poses for a picture with the Oakland Athletics mascot Stomper and kids during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Avri Fontenot, 9, from Oakland, takes a selfie with Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in the background during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha along with youngsters yell “Play Ball” at the start of the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Fans try to get a glimpse of Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry welcomes a youngster to home plate as they run the bases after the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry poses for a picture with youngsters during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry runs the bases with Jace Anderson, 9, from Oakland, after the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry tags second base as the runs the bases after the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Judy Holoman, from Oakland, iwith the Golden Gate Recreation Center and the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, holds a picture of Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry welcomes youngsters with the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation to home plate as they run the bases after the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Young fans react to seeing Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Currys were at the A’s for their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

“There’s a sense of being really grateful for where we are and for what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “With that, there come more demands and things outside, distractions, that you need to deal with. There are challenges that come with that. Sometimes, it’s just saying, ‘No.’ ”

He also said he is prepared for the grind needed to get a fifth ring.

“It’s already started,” he said.

Even with that preparation underway, he was relaxed at the game Wednesday. Dressed in a white A’s home jersey with the No. 19 and the words “Eat Learn Play” on the back, both Stephen and Ayesha expressed hope that their foundation is just now entering its own championship window.

“We have generated some momentum, and that’s exciting,” Ayesha said. “We feel like we’ve put up the three pillars that are going to hold us up — nutrition, education and physical activity — and that we are working to create more and more resources and programs for kids in this area. A little bit at a time.”

Founded in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. put its focus during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 on feeding families by paying hard-hit restaurants to produce meals. Last fall, the nonprofit unveiled a converted school bus to deliver fresh food and produce to “food deserts” in Oakland. And just this past March, a new literacy initiative under its education pillar, Little Town Libraries, was launched. Thus far, more than 50,000 free books have been distributed throughout the community.

Asked to compare the foundation’s growth to that of the Warriors, Curry contemplated.

“Maybe around the time that we were playing the Nuggets and the Spurs early on,” Curry said, drawing a parallel to the 2012-13 Warriors squad. “You realize that a lot of the foundation has been laid. But there’s always more concrete to pour.”

Linda Zavoral contributed to this story.