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'HOMEY': Chris Paul has sold NBA friends on area's merits
Journal photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
Doris Hauser, 90, (left) came to Shallowford Square to have her photo taken with Chris Paul (right) on Thursday June 11, 2009. Paul was honored with a plaque from the town of Lewisville.
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Published: June 12, 2009
When Chris Paul joined the NBA, he was surprised to find that his friends made fun of the city he called home.
"They were asking, ‘Does it exist?' and ‘How many stoplights are here?'" Paul said before he spoke at yesterday's reception and press conference for the fourth annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend.
The reception detailed the activities of the weekend, Sept. 24 to Sept. 27. The weekend is a fundraiser for the CP3 Foundation, which raises money for a variety of programs and charities in Paul's hometown, along with New Orleans.
On Sept. 24, Rick Reilly, the host of ESPN's Homecoming, will tape a segment in front of a live audience at Wake Forest University. Reilly and Paul will chronicle the major events of Paul's life and the people who have influenced him.
Paul told people that he was a little nervous about what Reilly would uncover in his past. He joked that the show is so thorough that it often manages to interview the person who changed the subject's diapers.
On the Day of Service on Sept. 25, volunteers from area high schools will participate in one of several community projects with Paul. That night, there will be a Friends and Family Bowling Night.
On Sept. 26, Paul will coach boys and girls ages 8 to 13 at a basketball clinic at the Gateway YWCA.
That evening, a gala will pay tribute to Paul's Wake Forest coach, the late Skip Prosser. The weekend will conclude with a church service and social on Sunday morning at the Benton Convention Center.
The weekend will include a mixture of activities that have been successful in the past and some new ones to keep things fun, said Tom George, the senior vice president for athletes and property at Octagon, Paul's management team.
Last year's weekend raised $275,000, he said. He declined to name a goal for this year, citing the uncertainty of the economy.
Paul had started his day yesterday with the unveiling of a plaque in his honor at Shallowford Square in his hometown of Lewisville. He stressed the importance of education while talking with a group of Lewisville Elementary School third-graders.
He left Wake Forest after two years, Paul said, but he is now back at the school working toward his degree.
His friends' attitude toward Winston-Salem has changed, after many of them have come to town to participate in events here, Paul said.
"They love how family-oriented it is," he said, "and how homey it is."
■ Mary Giunca can be reached at 727-4089 or at mgiunca@wsjournal.com.
■ Journal reporter Paul Garber contributed to this story.
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