| You can usually find them on the basketball court serving up assists and slam dunks. But on Make A Difference weekend, Chris Paul and some of teammates were busy serving dinner to some Hollywood celebrities; for charity of course. In each city Chris Paul plays, he has been very active in the community. He is also very good about getting his teammates involved, just as he does on the basketball court. On the night of October 26th, Chris Paul’s charity, the CP3 Foundation, brought all the stars out to Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills for a fundraiser to honor and support two local youth charities in the Los Angeles area. Chris Paul and a few of his teammates (DeAndre Jordan, Glen Davis and Blake Griffin) along with other former and current NBA All-Stars (Ekpe V’doh, Brent Barry, Baron Davis, Jalen Rose and others), put themselves in a humbling position for a good cause. They took the orders and served the dinner to the likes of Laila Ali, celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins, and Coach Doc Rivers. The event raised more than $100,000 during the auction alone, which was hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s personality Kevin Frazier. Along with money raised from ticket sales and other activities during the event, the CP3 Foundation and friends raised over $200,000! The beneficiaries of all the love shown that night were local charities LA’s Best and Leaps N Boundz. LA’s Best has programs that serve 28,000 kids at 195 different schools in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area. Their primary goal is to give the kids something constructive to do after school at times when they would otherwise be out in their communities being victims or perpetrators of violence. The program was started in 1988 by then mayor of the city, Mr. Tom Bradley. Leaps N Boundz is another Los Angeles area charity. Their focus is on getting kids with special needs involved in sports and other recreational activities. Ms. Joclynn Benjamin of Leaps N Boundz reports that their organization has been operating in the Los Angeles area for 17 years, and they serve more than 1500 kids at 7 different locations throughout the city. Most of the kids they serve are autistic, or on the autism spectrum. The programs they provide for their kids include volleyball, golf, swimming, surfing and many others. Besides sports, there is also their Preschool Enrichment Program, various camping activities throughout the year, and exciting social opportunities in the community. Their team of volunteers is primarily comprised of same-age peers to partner with the kids with special needs. So in fact, they are serving those kids also since they are certainly benefiting just as much from such valuable experiences. Those who know Chris Paul are not at all surprised by his love for these kids and the organizations that support them. Not only is he revered by most as “a classy gentleman,” but he is also a dedicated father of two kids of his own. It is from his perspective as a father that he has learned the most valuable lesson of all when it comes to dealing with kids; “Writing a check, that’s easy,” he said. “Time is the most valuable thing that we all have.” |
| CP3 Foundation Brings Out the Stars for Charity |
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