Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp is donating $15,000 worth of Nike product to support at-promise Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) students and their families. Kupp's donation, which was announced via video message, will meet the clothing needs of 23 student families identified by IUSD and provide each with shirts, pants, shorts, shoes and sweatshirts.
"Our contribution seems insignificant among the hurt and hardship being felt worldwide," said Kupp. "The goal for my wife and I is not only to help those in need, but also to thank those who are making unimaginable sacrifices for the good of everyone. It's times like these where you can be a part of the team and help those that are feeling this the most."
Additional gear purchased by Kupp will be used to reward IUSD students for positive character and attendance as well as provide clothes to homeless or at-risk youth for the 2020-21 school year.
"Once the pandemic hit, resulting in the closures of our Inglewood Unified campuses, we knew that many of our students who were already enduring hardships such as experiencing homelessness, hunger and lack of resources, would face even greater challenges," said Dr. Erika Torres, County Administrator of Inglewood Unified School District. "As we were locating and reaching out to struggling families to offer support and resources, the Rams organization contacted Inglewood Unified with news that Mr. Cooper Kupp wanted to provide Nike gear to students. IUSD is so grateful for the generosity of Mr. Kupp and the Rams organization, as well as for these right-on-time donations. We will continue to provide the items to families throughout the crisis."
The partnership between the Rams and IUSD has benefitted students and families since the team moved back to Los Angeles in 2016. Since California stay-at-home orders were set in place on March 19, the Rams have worked with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to supplement 'grab and go' meals and food kits for IUSD student families, distributed "LA Together" t-shirts to volunteers at meal distribution sites in Inglewood, donated Microsoft Surface tablets to IUSD students lacking the technological resources to engage in coursework, and partnered with Bella Canvas to provide masks to IUSD student families, volunteers and community members. Since 2016, the team has provided more than 1,150 hours of community service in Inglewood, home to SoFi Stadium.
