NEW ORLEANS HORNETS GUARD CHRIS PAUL RECEIVES NBA COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD FOR SEPTEMBER
New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul has been named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award for September, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work.
Paul is being honored following his annual weekend of fundraising and community building events to benefit charities throughout his hometown of Winston-Salem, N.C. The third annual Chris Paul Winston-Salem Weekend, hosted by Paul’s CP3 Foundation, took place over a four-day period in late September and featured eight community events, including a Day of Service and youth basketball clinic. The highlight of the Day of Service was the dedication of a newly refurbished Reading & Learning Center at a local Boys & Girls Club. The Center features brand new computers, educational software, school supplies and hundreds of new books. Later that day, Paul led a group of local athletes in a Special Olympics basketball clinic, focusing on basketball fundamentals, teamwork and sportsmanship. The day came to a close with several Meals-On-Wheels food deliveries and a Feed the Children food distribution event to assist 400 local families. The Chris Paul-Winston-Salem Weekend has become a highly anticipated, city-wide community service initiative celebrating family, faith and community.
“Finding ways to give back to the city of Winston-Salem has always been a priority for me, particularly since I joined the Hornets,” said Paul. “This year’s annual Day of Service included multiple outreach initiatives, which allowed us to involve more organizations and to have a greater impact on the community as a whole.”
Chris Paul and his family created the CP3 Foundation in partnership with The Winston-Salem Foundation to support a variety of charitable causes. Since its inception in 2006, the CP3 Foundation has raised more than $250,000 to benefit programs throughout Winston-Salem and New Orleans. Funds from the two previous charity weekends supported several initiatives, including a Habitat for Humanity home build for one Winston-Salem family and the establishment of the Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund at Wake Forest University. This marks the second time that Paul has been named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award. He last won the honor in September 2006.
As the September NBA Community Assist Award recipient, Paul will receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription, “Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece.” In addition, a $5,000 donation will be given by the NBA to the CP3 Foundation. The league presents the NBA Community Assist Award monthly to recognize players for their charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities.
