Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation

We are proud to partner with ESPN as they announced this week the launch of Take Back Sports, a new youth sports initiative dedicated to increasing access to play for young athletes. As part of the initiative, ESPN is teaming up with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and our expanded focus on ensuring every student in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has access and opportunity participate in middle-school sports.

What an unforgettable weekend at the Oakland Marathon, and we couldn’t have done it without our incredible partners at Under Armour. From the Shakeout Run around Lake Merritt to the gear for every young athlete at the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation Kids Fun Run, Under Armour brought the energy, excitement, and community spirit that helped make this event so special. At Eat. Learn. Play., we believe in the power of play to inspire kids and build healthier futures—and partners like Under Armour help make that vision a reality. Thank you, Under Armour. We’re grateful to have you in our corner!

Eat. Learn. Play. is proud to be supporting reading intervention programs to help Oakland students thrive.

An unforgettable night at the theatre! Earlier this month, we were honored to be part of a special event hosted by Champion Charities at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, where students from across the Bay Area experienced the Broadway touring production of “Back to the Future: The Musical.” For 20 years, Champion Charities has been making a lasting impact, and we’re grateful to be one of the organizations they continue to support. A huge thank you to Megan and Harris Barton, Karen and Ronnie Lott, Liz and Alex Smith, Olivia and Christian McCaffrey for bringing this incredible event to life and to Zūm Transportation for helping us make sure Oakland students could attend!

We’re still smiling about all the fun we had at Oakland Marathon race weekend! Huge shoutout to Kaiser Permanente for making the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run possible and for being the presenting sponsor of the entire weekend. Their support helped bring 10,000 runners together to celebrate movement, joy, and community—especially the 1,000 kids who laced up for their race, many for the very first time! From high fives at the start line to big smiles and finish line medals, this weekend was all about creating opportunities for kids to be active and thrive. Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to Oakland’s kids extends far beyond race weekend, and we’re grateful to have them as a partner in this work year-round. Click through to relive the magic! ?? #EatLearnPlay #OaklandMarathon #KidsRun Soul Focus Sports

Every kid deserves the chance to fall in love with reading. Our new short film, "From Struggle to Strength: Advancing Literacy Efforts in Oakland," made with OpenLight Films, shows how high-dosage tutoring is helping Oakland students build skills, confidence, and brighter futures. With our $25 million, five-year commitment, we’re making sure more than 10,000 Oakland Unified School District students get the reading support they need to thrive. We invite you to see the impact in action—watch the full film.

What a weekend in Oakland! The 2025 Oakland Marathon was a celebration of movement, community, and opportunity—and Eat. Learn. Play. was proud to be at the heart of it all as the event’s charitable beneficiary. Proceeds from this year’s event raised over $100,000 to support Eat. Learn. Play.’s mission of improving the lives of Oakland kids and families. From the youngest runners at the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation Kids Fun Run, presented by Kaiser Permanente, to the excitement of the Under Armour shakeout run, to thousands of marathoners and first-time 5K finishers, the energy was unmatched. Over 10,000 participants hit the streets, and more than 1,000 kids—many running their very first race. We were proud to provide free registration for every Oakland Unified School District student who took part in the Kids Fun Run, making it easier for more kids to get out and move. The weekend was about more than races—it was about celebrating Oakland. Whether you ran past one of our transformed schoolyards at Franklin or Piedmont Avenue Elementary, or cheered from the sidelines, your support is helping create safe, active spaces where kids can play, learn, and grow. We’re grateful to the Oakland Marathon and all our incredible partners for making this weekend possible including: Kaiser Permanente, Under Armour, PLEZi Nutrition, Joie Children's Products, Inc., Rakuten, Fresh Bellies, Oakland Athletic League, Golden State Vaklyries, Zenni Optical, Visit Oakland, Fit Kids Foundation, Street Soccer USA, Oakland Lacrosse Club, Girls On the Run Bay Area—and all the volunteers who kept things running (literally)! Photos by Noah Graham

We’re proud to announce an expansion of our partnership with Under Armour and Curry Brand—backed by a seven-figure annual investment to revitalize youth sports across the Oakland Unified School District. By creating a seamless pathway from elementary school play spaces to middle and high school athletics, we’re ensuring every Oakland student has access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to grow and succeed—on and off the field.

Join in on the livestream of The Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit this morning at 9:30 AM Pacific Time as ESPN and our CEO, Christopher Helfrich discuss Eat Learn Play’s major new efforts to support youth sports in Oakland.

Happy birthday to our co-founder, Ayesha Curry! Your leadership and heart are driving real change—helping ensure every child has access to the healthy meals and opportunities they need to thrive. We’re grateful for your vision and dedication to creating a brighter future for Oakland kids and families. Here’s to another incredible year!