Raiders Donate $250,000 to Save Sports at Area High Schools

The Oakland Raiders made a $250,000 donation Tuesday to help save high school sports programs in the Bay Area.   

According to a statement, the Raiders made a donation to the Oakland Unified School District after it cut sports teams due to "budget constraints." 

"The prospect of these kids losing their dreams was difficult to hear for everyone in the community," Raiders owner Mark Davis said. "After school athletics are an important part of the high school experience and this donation will keep student-athletes on the playing fields in Oakland."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Lerseth, the Oakland Unified School District cut 10 high school sports programs last week to save $500,000. He noted the district still needs to raise more than $200,000 even after the Raiders' generous gesture. 

"$250,000 will go a long way to ensuring that our young people can dedicate themselves on the fields and courts, in the pools, and on the mats this year and beyond," superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said, per Lerseth. "There's no way to properly thank anyone for such a huge donation, so let me just say from all students, staff and families, we thank the Oakland Raiders, and like us, you will always be OUSD."