Chris Paul wins NBA Cares Community Assist award for April

Chris Paul received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente for the month of April.

The award recognizes his contributions to his community through the Chris Paul foundation, which was founded by the Clippers’ point guard in 2005 in honor of his late grandfather to provide scholarships for high school graduates to attend Wake Forest University.

NBA Cares ambassador Bob Lanier and a Kaiser Permanente representative will present Paul with the David Robinson Plaque before Wednesday’s Game 2 of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will also donate $10,000 to the The Chris Paul Family Foundation.

Paul’s foundation recently helped open a newly refurbished Boys & Girls Club in Watts and also hosted the fourth annual Prom Dress Giveaway, in which 100 L.A.-area high school girls from a variety of community programs selected new and vintage gowns, shoes, jewelry and accessories.

“I learned at an early age that you can make a major difference in someone’s life by supporting your community,” Paul said in a statement. “Community service is not something I have to do; it’s something I want to do. While donating money is important, it is also important to be visible in the community and sharing time with people so they can know you care.”

Fans, along with an NBA panel of judges, can place their vote for the 2014-15 season NBA Cares Community Assist Award recipient through April 27 via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #NBACommunityAssist and #PlayFirstNameLastName. The NBA and Kaiser Permanente will donate $25,000 to the winner’s charity of choice. Fans can find additional information here.