'Tis the season for giving back, and the Golden State Warriors have been visiting communities throughout the Bay Area all week to host community events for youth as part of their "Season of Giving" community outreach initiative.
Yesterday, the entire roster, along with coaches and staff, paid a visit to the Bayview Opera House. There, they were greeted by 200 lucky kids from Dr. Charles R. Drew College Prep Academy, George Washington Carver Elementary School and Joseph Lee Recreation Center, who got the chance to play with the powerhouse NBA team at basketball stations, and enjoy arts and crafts, games and snacks.
Mayor Ed Lee and Warriors President Rick Welts kicked off the celebration by greeting an intimate group of community members and children. “I’m not the best basketball player, but I play a good game of ping pong—that game is not all about height," joked the Mayor.
Bayview native Theodore Ellington, the Director of Public Affairs for the Warriors, is the man behind this specific event, and played a major role in securing partnerships.
“We want to make sure we thank everyone for partnering with us in the Bayview," said Welts. “We're honored to have the opportunity to hang out with the community today. This is one of our favorite places because we know it’s appreciated here.”
“This is an amazing thing to do for this community," said Mary, one of the event chaperones. "Holidays can be hard on people and we often forget that. It’s nice to have the whole team here. I have never been to a basketball game in my life, but now I feel I don’t even have to, because I got to watch my child experience something he never would sitting in the Oracle Arena.”
As the program continued the team made their way back and forth from the Bayview Opera House and Joe Lee Rec center while playing basketball with the kids, creating holiday cards and decorating cookies. Every 15 minutes the activities rotated, giving every child a chance to connect with the team.
"We are showing kids early something that is different," said Nate Watson of the neighborhood's Public Glass. “Initially, everyone was scared of glass-making because they were afraid of getting hurt. But now they're just walking up to it because it’s warm," he laughed. “We drink out of glasses all the time but nobody knows where they come from, so I’m happy to be a part of this program to offer something unique."
The experience was certainly unique experience, with the Bayview is the only community that was given the opportunity to hang out with the entire Warriors team and coaches.
Here are more scenes from yesterday's event:
