Octagon Orchestrates NBA Star Chris Paul Event
New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul is giving back to his hometown of Winston-Salem, N.C. and Octagon is organizing sponsors to support the effort.
When Paul first met with Octagon as a National Basketball Association rookie, he told Octagon he wanted to create a way to help the community where he was raised. The result is Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend, which will comprise several fund-raising and community action events for the second straight year on Sept. 14-16.
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County will be the primary beneficiary of Paul’s CP3 Foundation for the funds it raises this year. Last year, the event raised $156,000 earmarked as a scholarship fund honoring Paul’s late grandfather for a Forsyth County student to attend Wake Forest University, his alma mater.
Octagon exercised license in creating the event and recruiting sponsors.
“Chris Paul gave us the latitude to create some unique platforms for him,” said Tom George, Octagon’s senior marketing officer. “This is a unique young man who shows real strength of character.”
Sponsors lined up to support this year’s event are Brand Jordan, Paul’s apparel sponsor, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, 2K Sports, and several local sponsors, including WSJS-AM, My Edgar, BB&T, Debbie’s Staffing, Mountain Fried Chicken, and TriStone Bank.
On Sept. 14, Winston-Salem area high schoolers will participate in several community service projects, including construction of a Habitat for Humanity home and a Feed the Children food distribution. 2K Sports, which will feature Paul on the cover of its upcoming NBA videogame release, is title sponsor for a sports gala that night.
Brand Jordan sponsors a celebrity bowling tournament on Sept. 15, featuring NBA stars LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Rick Hamilton, Bobby Jackson and Tyson Chandler. Brand Jordan releases a Chris Paul shoe later this year. My Edgar sponsors a youth basketball clinic featuring some of the NBA players that same day.
A non-denominational community church service will cap the events on Sept. 16, featuring the Wake Forest Gospel Choir, followed by a church social sponsored by Mountain Fried Chicken.
The weekend is organized by the Chris Paul Advisory Panel, including family members, Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, a Wake Forest representative and representatives of the respective local sponsors.
