“Ensure equal opportunities for all girls”: How Angel Reese’s foundation became the biggest donor to a holiday toy drive while expanding her impact beyond basketball

Angel Reese has made a name for herself in the WNBA, but her work away from basketball has become another important part of her story. Her foundation has backed several community efforts, including a holiday toy drive in 2025.On Dec. 12, 2025, Athlon Sports reported that the Angel C. Reese Foundation became the biggest donor to the 53 Families Foundation Holiday Toy Drive. The contribution added to Reese’s growing list of charitable efforts. Angel Reese’s foundation helped cover the toy drive’s needsThe Angel C. Reese Foundation stepped up for the 53 Families Foundation’s holiday toy drive and became its biggest donor, as per Athlon Sports. The 53 Families Foundation comes from former NFL player Jameer McClain, who created the organization to support families and communities through different initiatives.Keisha McClain, Jameer’s wife, publicly thanked Reese’s foundation for its support. She highlighted the size of the contribution and explained what it meant for the holiday effort.“Your generosity ensured that our toy needs are fully covered and we are truly grateful,” McClain wrote in her message about the drive.That detail makes Reese’s role in the campaign clear. Her foundation did not simply join the effort. It became the event’s top donor and helped the organizers cover the toys they needed.The holiday drive also fits into a larger pattern of community work from Reese’s foundation. Its projects have reached different areas, with a strong focus on young people and opportunities for girls.The foundation’s website highlights its goal of helping girls who have historically received fewer opportunities. It focuses on sports, education and financial literacy, while also looking at practical resources that can help girls move forward in life.That work has already taken shape through projects in Chicago. The foundation partnered with Reebok for a back-to-school event that gave 2,000 backpacks to Chicago families. It has also promoted an anti-cyberbullying campaign, showing that its work does not stop with sports.Angel Reese’s foundation has a bigger mission beyond basketballThe foundation’s own mission gives more context to these projects. It says its main objective is to “ensure equal opportunities for all girls” in sports, education, financial literacy and other areas where girls have historically been overlooked.That message lines up with the work Reese has supported through the foundation. The toy drive helped families during the holidays, while the foundation’s other programs focus on giving young people support and resources.Reese entered the WNBA after the Chicago Sky selected her seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She now wears an Atlanta Dream jersey after the team acquired her from Chicago in April 2026.The report showed how she has used part of that platform. Through her foundation, Reese helped make sure a holiday toy drive had what it needed, adding another meaningful chapter to her work beyond basketball.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.