Caitlin Clark celebrated her 23rd birthday on Wednesday with a surprise from the Indiana Fever staff and a significant charitable donation.
After completing a workout, Clark entered the weight room to find members of the Fever front office and coaching staff singing “Happy Birthday.”
They presented her with a cookie cake adorned with candles. Clark’s surprised reaction was captured and shared by the Fever on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Thank you,” Clark said after the singing concluded. “You guys didn’t have to do that.” She expressed further surprise, asking, “Were you guys waiting for me? I was just sitting up there.”
In addition to the surprise celebration, Clark made a charitable donation through her Caitlin Clark Foundation. She provided 22,000 books to schools in Iowa and Indiana, reflecting the number she wears on her jersey.
The donation aims to support students in kindergarten through eighth grade and was made through Scholastic.
“I remember picking out the books from the Scholastic flyer and how empowering that was for me as a child,” Clark stated in a news release announcing the donation. “I want to help kids have the same experience, to develop their reading skills and open their imaginations to dream big.”
The entire press release can be found on the ‘Caitlin Clark Foundation’ wesbite.
Clark’s initiative aligns with Scholastic’s Literacy Champions campaign, focused on improving child literacy rates. Her contribution is expected to greatly benefit schools and students in both states.
