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Warriors to Unveil 'Chef Academy', Presented by Walmart, at Westlake Middle School

Established 1946 | 7-time NBA Champions

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors will tip-off the team’s “Chef Academy,” presented by Walmart and in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and 18 Reasons, at Westlake Middle School (2629 Harrison Street) in Oakland at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, the team announced today. The program aims to promote a healthy lifestyle by providing youth and their families with engaging, hands-on experience preparing and cooking nutritious foods.

“Chef Academy” teaches fundamental culinary skills and provides healthy food options for youth while also facilitating accessibility to affordable food for families. Thursday’s tip-off event, which will feature Warriors Community Ambassador Adonal Foyle, will include a cooking demonstration, smoothie bikes, kid-friendly knife skills seminar and a “snacks on the go” station for roughly 120 children at Westlake Middle School.

“Programs like Chef Academy can have a demonstrated impact on a child’s life, especially if it opens doors to healthy living and good eating habits,” said Vice President of Community Relations and Executive Director of the Warriors Community Foundation Joanne Pasternack. “It’s our hope that Chef Academy can make a lasting impression on our youngest generation and their families by providing the foundation for improved quality of life.”

“We’re proud to work with the Golden State Warriors to bring ‘Chef Academy’ to children across the Bay Area,” said Chester Gray, Regional General Manager at Walmart in California. “Getting access to and preparing nutritious meals are essential to a healthy lifestyle. We’re delighted to help children and their families learn more about healthy eating habits through this unique and fun experience that builds a healthier future.”

Following Thursday’s event, the Warriors and Walmart will support the launch of “Cooking Matters” in select schools in the Oakland Unified and San Francisco Unified school districts in partnership with 18 Reasons. “Cooking Matters,” which is taught by a chef and nutritionist, is a free six-week long series of cooking and nutrition classes that helps encourage youth and family participation in food education, as well as assistance with access to resources required to prepare healthy meals.

Walmart helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit Walmart’s 11,593 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. Share Our Strength is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger through the No Kid Hungry campaign. 18 Reasons is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that works with Share Our Strength to implement the Cooking Matters program in low-income communities through the Bay Area.