Klay Thompson Donates $20,000 to City of Oakland for Thanksgiving Dinner Event

No man, woman or child deserves to be without food, the company of others and a roof over his or her head on Thanksgiving, and Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is certainly a firm believer in that notion.

Klay Thompson gives back for Thanksgiving (via

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The 24-year-old recently donated $20,000 to the City of Oakland in order to help continue its annual Thanksgiving Dinner event, which is expected to serve food to roughly 2,000 low-income families, seniors and individuals.

Thompson, who just recently signed a contract extension with the Warriors that’s projected to be worth $70 million, was keen on expressing how appreciative he was to get the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of those who need a helping hand.

"“Thanksgiving dinner is something that every family should have the opportunity to enjoy together during the holidays and I’m lucky enough to have the ability to help those in need enjoy a meal with their loved ones this year,” said Thompson.“In past years, several of my teammates have stepped up and donated to help make the City of Oakland’s Thanksgiving Day meal a reality. It’s my pleasure to do it this year for these families and senior citizens in need.”"

The Thanksgiving Dinner event is a volunteer-driven event supported not only by donations of those like Thompson, but also by average, middle-class citizens that also wish to make a difference for those in need.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the Marriott Hotel at Oakland City Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

Warriors ride BART back home (via

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This isn’t the first time Thompson has helped in the facilitation of a community outreach event, however, one of the most recent being the team’s Shop with the Warriors event that gave five Bay Area families the opportunity to shop at Lucky Supermarket for Thanksgiving groceries.

Both events are part of the Warriors organization’s Plays for the Holidays outreach initiative, which the team does every year to help less fortunate families and individuals find a sense of comfort during the holiday season.

Both events are also a part of the NBA Cares Season of Giving campaign, which is a league-wide community outreach initiative that calls for every NBA player, team, coach and associate to participate in various charitable events across the country.

Shopping alongside Thompson were Warriors forward Draymond Green, community ambassador Adonal Foyle and assistant coaches Luke Walton and Jarron Collins, each of whom took one of the families and escorted them throughout the store.

Coach Walton had some words on the matter, saying that community outreach events like Shop with the Warriors epitomizes the spirit of the holiday season.

"“Being able to provide food for the holidays is an unbelievable feeling, but the chance to connect with this wonderful family and have fun with the kids is really what this event and the holidays are all about,” said Walton."

Local minister Jonathan Sims and his four daughters were one of the families that participated in the Shop event, and he was sure to express his appreciation to the team for their generosity.

"“I cannot express the gratitude I have to Mr. Thompson, the Warriors organization, Lucky Supermarket and the West Contra Costa YMCA for giving my family the chance to have the first Thanksgiving together in a long time,” said Sims."

The Warriors also hosted a Thanksgiving event in San Francisco, which required the team to ride BART on the way home.

Rather than face the rush hour traffic going back to the East Bay, they opted to utilize the Bay Area’s infamous public transit train system to get back, interacting with fans along the way and taking numerous selfies.

A bunch of 6-foot-plus basketball players and a 7-foot Aussie cramming into a crowded BART train car?

Bah! Humbug!