Olson, Piscotty join in Week of Giving with A's

OAKLAND -- The A’s have adopted the slogan “Rooted in Oakland” over the past few years, and it’s one that extends beyond the regular season.

A’s players and front-office members have been giving back to the community during the club’s “Week of Giving,” which features events throughout the city for the holiday season. On Wednesday, Matt Olson, Stephen Piscotty and the entire A’s front office teamed up with CityTeam Oakland for a pair of beautification projects in downtown Oakland.

Activities included painting, furniture building, yard work, packing lunches, making holiday cards and wrapping donated holiday gifts at both CityTeam’s main Oakland location and the nonprofit’s new Women’s Bridge Housing program.

“We’ve just been out here with CityTeam helping around,” Olson said. “Making some lunches and painting some walls. It’s obviously a really good cause. We’re doing what we can.”

Olson has been heavily involved in the week’s activities, also spending Tuesday morning at Vincent Academy in Oakland, where he and his girlfriend, Nicole, read books to children as part of a reading assembly hosted by the elementary school.

“It’s great to see the whole organization out here with CityTeam giving back to the community,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “To give back to the community that gives us so much throughout the year is great for the organization.

“I think [the players] know when the fans come out and provide so much support, they really deserve to get something back. It’s nice to have these guys here.”

The NBA’s Golden State Warriors, who once shared the same parking lot with the A’s, have moved across the Bay into a new arena in San Francisco. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders are playing their final season at the Coliseum before moving to Las Vegas. Now the only major sports franchise in town, the A’s are placing an emphasis on signaling to Oakland residents their commitment to the city where they hope to get a new ballpark built by 2023.

“There’s a lot of pride in being the last team in Oakland,” Forst said. “We understand the civic responsibility and that’s why [A’s president] Dave Kaval and his group have made such a point of saying we’re rooted in Oakland. Our ballpark is going to be in Oakland, and we’re happy to stay here.”

The A’s Week of Giving continues through Friday. The club is also holding an online fundraising competition with the Giants in a Battle of the Bay for a good cause. From Tuesday to Sunday, fans can participate in the #GivingTuesday Battle of the Bay fundraiser by making an online donation at https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/giving-tuesday79.

#GivingTuesday is a global movement that marks the beginning of the charitable season.