SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his spouse, Ayesha Curry, are serving to public colleges in Oakland the place excessive ranges of lead plague water programs and pose well being hazards to college students.
The facility couple’s nonprofit group, Eat. Study. Play., introduced on Wednesday that it donated greater than half 1,000,000 {dollars} to quickly set up water filtration stations throughout 60 elementary, center and excessive colleges this college yr.
Elevated lead ranges had been present in almost 200 fountains and taps at Oakland Unified Faculty District buildings throughout testing final spring and summer time.
Eat. Study. Play. partnered with Kaiser Permanente and TomKat Basis for the hassle, putting in FloWater Refill Stations inside OUSD colleges over the previous 4 months. Stations are presently offering 1000’s college students with entry to safer, highly-filtered ingesting water.
“With the commitment of $650,000, this initiative is a critical and immediate first step toward addressing the discovery of elevated lead levels in the water at numerous OUSD schools,” the Currys’ nonprofit group wrote.
Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry go to a college in Oakland on September 6, 2023. (Picture by Noah Graham/Getty Pictures for Eat. Study. Play.)
Eat. Study. Play. fast-tracked “phase 1” of the college district’s clear water plan to stop harmful lead publicity. The primary section centered on colleges with the best variety of unusable water fountains and the biggest scholar populations.
“We are so thankful to Stephen, Ayesha, Eat. Learn. Play., Kaiser Permanente, and Kat Taylor for stepping in at this critical time,” mentioned Kyla Johnson-Trammell, OUSD Superintendent. “This funding provides significant support to help us address this serious health issue while we work on long-term solutions.”
“Our mission is to ensure that every Oakland student has the resources and support they need to reach their full potential, and access to clean water is a fundamental part of that,” mentioned Chris Helfrich, CEO of Eat. Study. Play. “Every child deserves access to clean water. It’s a basic necessity and a non-negotiable priority for us. They need clean water now, and we’re committed to making that happen.”
Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry learn to college students in an Oakland college’s library on September 6, 2023. (Picture by Noah Graham/Getty Pictures for Eat. Study. Play.)
The college district continues to be working to repair its foundational infrastructure for long-term options. OUSD outlined future phases that embrace buying 88 extra filtration stations, testing remaining colleges, and changing outdated water fixtures.
College students at Oakland colleges with lead in water ought to get blood checks, officers say
The most typical sources of lead in ingesting water are lead pipes, taps, and plumbing fixtures, in accordance with the CDC. Officers with the CDC wrote, “No safe blood level has been identified for young children. Lead can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is a toxic metal that is persistent in the environment and can accumulate in the body over time.”
Eat. Study. Play. was based by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry in 2019. Their group’s mission is to supply three pillars for a wholesome childhood: vitamin, schooling, and bodily exercise. The couple has made a number of appearances at native public colleges to kickoff particular initiatives over the previous 5 years.