Five San Francisco 49ers players joined mentor-and-mentee pairs from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for a cake-decorating bake-off at Cultivate Kitchen in San Jose this week. The event, held near Diridon Station, brought together middle and high school students with players Brandin Cooks, Osa Odighizuwa, Siran Neal, Jon Weeks, and Carver Willis. The athletes assisted the students in customizing their own cakes, which were subsequently evaluated based on their creativity, presentation, and taste.
The competition specifically paired the players with actual mentor-mentee duos from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, as reported by KRON4, rather than being a general team outing. Cultivate Kitchen, a San Jose culinary venue, provided all necessary ingredients and the recipe for the contest. Following the judging, Siran Neal tasted all of the finished cakes before making the final selection for a winner. As a token of participation, every individual who took part in the bake-off received tickets to a 49ers game scheduled for later this season.
Jon Weeks, a 49ers long snapper, noted that the players enjoyed getting to know the participants and observing their enthusiasm for the competition. Weeks, who turned 40 in February and signed a one-year extension with the team in March after his second career Pro Bowl selection, according to Sactown Sports, also conveyed that the group had fun making cakes and simply conversing with the children throughout the event, per KRON4.
For player Osa Odighizuwa, the afternoon carried personal significance, rooted in his own experience with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Odighizuwa was once a “Little” himself, enrolled in the program as a child in Portland before his collegiate career at UCLA and subsequent entry into the NFL. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which inducted him into its Alumni Hall of Fame in June 2024 at the organization’s national conference in Dallas, provided background on his journey. Odighizuwa told KRON4 that mentorship can have a “meaningful impact on a young person,” a sentiment he attributes to his personal path through the program.
Odighizuwa’s commitment to community work extends beyond this single event. In September 2025, the NFL Players Association recognized him as its Week 2 Community MVP, an honor for active players demonstrating exceptional local service. This recognition included a $10,000 grant directed to his charitable foundation, according to the NFL Players Association.
The San Jose bake-off also aligns with broader local efforts in mentorship. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area reported serving over 500 youth in 2025. Data from the organization indicates that 94% of participating youth reported an increase in their educational expectations. Nationally, research conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America highlights that youth matched with adult mentors are 52% less likely to skip school and 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs compared to their unmatched peers.
Cultivate Kitchen, the host venue, was founded in 2012 by sommelier Colleen Mahoney, originally under the name Savory Kitchen. The business regularly hosts private events and corporate workshops, including its own structured “Great Bake-Off Challenge.” This 90-minute timed competition, according to the venue’s event listing, involves teams working from partial recipes before presenting their creations to judges. The event successfully brought together 49ers players and local youth for a session of hands-on culinary learning and community interaction.
