CP3, West Host Holiday Shopping Spree at Toys ‘R’ Us
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
It wasn’t a game night, but as you watched New Orleans All-Stars Chris Paul and David West escort children through the aisles of Toys ‘R’ Us in Metairie on Sunday, Dec. 21, you couldn’t help but notice a few familiar traits that each Hornet also displays on the court. Paul and West were visiting Toys ‘R’ Us in order to personally help a group of 100 kids pick out toys. The 2008 Western Conference All-Stars paid for $100 shopping sprees for each of the 100 children.
On one side of the store was Paul, the NBA’s assists leader, reminding the youngsters to think of others while they were selecting their presents.
Paul: “I always tell the kids, ‘It’s not always about just you. You can also grab a gift for your brother, or your next-door neighbor who you play with all the time.’ ”
Meanwhile, West, one of the least-flashy stars in the NBA, was telling kids to not necessarily spend all of their $100 on one or two larger gifts.
“If it was me, I’d be grabbing a lot of these $5 toys,” West said with a smile. “That way, you’re going to end up with a lot more stuff at the end of the day.”
Paul and West, both active participants in team and individual community efforts, decided to host the shopping spree as another way to help provide a memorable holiday season experience for NOLA youngsters.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back and help a lot of kids who may not be as fortunate as we are,” West said. “When we have an opportunity to help, we want to step up and do that.”
“This is a lot of fun,” Paul said of providing advice to the children during the shopping spree. “For David West and I, and anyone in our situation, we feel blessed to play a game we love and to be able to reach out and help others, especially during this time of giving.
“A lot of times at this time of year, people are always thinking, ‘What is someone else getting for me?’ But as you get older, you realize you want to see smiles on other people’s faces, especially kids. Some of these kids may not have been able to have this experience. This definitely may create a memory for them. How often would a kid be able to say that two NBA players in their home city came out and (helped purchase) gifts for them?”
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
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On one side of the store was Paul, the NBA’s assists leader, reminding the youngsters to think of others while they were selecting their presents.
Paul: “I always tell the kids, ‘It’s not always about just you. You can also grab a gift for your brother, or your next-door neighbor who you play with all the time.’ ”
Meanwhile, West, one of the least-flashy stars in the NBA, was telling kids to not necessarily spend all of their $100 on one or two larger gifts.
“If it was me, I’d be grabbing a lot of these $5 toys,” West said with a smile. “That way, you’re going to end up with a lot more stuff at the end of the day.”
Paul and West, both active participants in team and individual community efforts, decided to host the shopping spree as another way to help provide a memorable holiday season experience for NOLA youngsters.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back and help a lot of kids who may not be as fortunate as we are,” West said. “When we have an opportunity to help, we want to step up and do that.”
“This is a lot of fun,” Paul said of providing advice to the children during the shopping spree. “For David West and I, and anyone in our situation, we feel blessed to play a game we love and to be able to reach out and help others, especially during this time of giving.
“A lot of times at this time of year, people are always thinking, ‘What is someone else getting for me?’ But as you get older, you realize you want to see smiles on other people’s faces, especially kids. Some of these kids may not have been able to have this experience. This definitely may create a memory for them. How often would a kid be able to say that two NBA players in their home city came out and (helped purchase) gifts for them?”
