Stephen Curry visits local school for mindfulness event (video)

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (KTVU) - Warriors superstar Stephen Curry made a surprise visit to students at Anna Yates Elementary School in Emeryville during a mindfulness event on Monday.

Nobody knew which Warrior was stopping by – not even the staff at Emery Unified School District. But when the emcee of the occasion announced “number 30” would be coming out, the group of youngsters knew exactly who it was and the place erupted. 

“If I knew it was him (Curry) coming I would have used a different camera,” said Superintendent Dr. John Rubio, who used his cell phone to capture the two-time MVP making his entrance.  

The defending champions organized the “Get Fit” event that was a collaboration between Kaiser Permanente and Playworks. Four schools were chosen for the experience and Anna Yates has a relationship with Playworks, which is an Oakland-based nonprofit that supports maximizing children’s playtime with special attention to improving physical health, as well as social and emotional learning. One of their representatives visits the K-8 campus every day.

The emcee kicked things off before the students did a movement activity. And then Curry came out to the roar of students.

“The kids were beyond ecstatic,” said Anna Yates Principal Samantha Carter. “But I also think they were excited to participate in the event.”

Curry shared the importance of mindfulness in his life before the crowd divided and visited multiple stations. There was four: a basketball clinic, yoga, Playworks and mindfulness. Curry visited and participated in all of them. And despite the Bay Area hero’s colossal stature, the kids were locked in to the details of the event.

“I feel like the adults were more distracted than the students,” Carter said. “Grown men were on their phones trying to get pictures with Steph.”

The presence of Playworks on this campus helps students learn to be safe and respectful during play. And the collaboration with Kaiser offers a pathway towards having a healthier future, Rubio said. All indications suggest the kids at Anna Yates are taking to this motion well, making Steph’s involvement a bonus. That’s a pretty cool bonus.

“I love seeing our kids so happy and excited,” said Rubio. “And it brings me a lot of joy to see anyone give their time to serve as a model for children.”