When Peja Stojakovic announced plans to hold a charity bowling event this season, you immediately knew that New Orleans All-Star point guard Chris Paul and first-round draft pick Julian Wright would be there. Paul and Wright list bowling among their favorites hobbies, with Paul joking that if it weren’t for basketball, he might try out for the professional bowler’s tour.

Stojakovic gives a child some extra muscle at the inaugural Charitabowl. The event raised $45,000 for Peja's Courts for Kids. Click here for more photos.

As it turned out, when Stojakovic hosted his inaugural “Charitabowl” at All-Star Lanes in Kenner on Friday, March 21, Paul and Wright weren’t the only Hornets players to appear. All 13 of Stojakovic’s teammates stopped by to take pictures with Hornets fans, sign autographs and roll a few games.

“When you have good chemistry on a team, everyone is supporting each other,” said Stojakovic. “I’ve gotten great support from my teammates. Everyone showed up, and I don’t know how to thank them for that. It was for a great cause and I think they all understand that.”

Teamwide participation from Hornets players helped make the event a substantial success, generating $90,000 for Peja’s Courts for Kids. The Peja’s Courts for Kids program includes a court refurbishment project in conjunction with Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana, promoting health and fitness education through the game of basketball.

The event itself raised $45,000, and Stojakovic pledged to match the event’s proceeds dollar-for-dollar, upping the total charitable contribution to $90,000.

“I started this event five years ago in Sacramento, and I decided to have a foundation for kids, because I know what kids in my country went through,” explained Stojakovic, a native of war-torn Serbia. “Kids are the most important part of our lives and our future.”

The 6-foot-10 forward said after the success of this year’s event, he plans to make Charitabowl an annual part of the Hornets’ charity calendar.

“There was a great response from the community,” said Stojakovic, who did not bowl during the event, opting instead to mingle with fans, media and his teammates. “I was very happy with how everything went and hopefully we can do another one next year. We raised a lot of money, for a great cause.”