It’s here, and we’re ready to cheer
2008 will be the greatest year!

Welcome back from a way-too-short holiday and too many New Year’s resolutions. My first resolution will be my easiest – to thank all of the supporters of the Sports Foundation for helping us meet our 2007 financial goals.  We have much for which to be grateful.  Most importantly, we have you to thank for making so many programs for San Antonio’s deserving children possible!  We are anticipating another incredible year full of challenges that will create even more opportunities.
                          
Congrats to Trinity University, Director of Athletics Bob King and the award- winning Tiger football team for capturing the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year!

Dr. Susan Blackwood
Executive Director

Sports Foundation Welcomes New Chair

Gary Arthur, Senior Vice President, Valero Energy Corporation and President, Valero Retail Holdings Inc., assumed chairmanship of the San Antonio Sports Foundation board of directors on Jan. 1, 2008.  He will succeed George Becknell, III, a registered representative and financial services professional. 

Gary joined the Sports Foundation board in 2003 and previously served as chair of the sales and marketing committee.  “Gary is highly respected by our board and staff.  We look forward to his leadership in what will be an exciting and challenging year,” said Dr. Susan Blackwood, Sports Foundation executive director.

Since joining Valero as Vice President of Marketing, Supply and Transportation in 2000, Gary has led numerous initiatives to improve the company’s supply, marketing and transportation business activities.  

A native of Ashland, Kentucky, Gary holds a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Morehead State University.  Gary is active in the San Antonio community.  From 2001-2006, he served on the Board of Directors of St. Peter’s/St. Joseph’s Children’s Home.  Gary also remains active in the Bexar County United Way Leadership Campaign, serving on the United Way Marketing Advisory Committee.  He and his wife, Sheila, live in San Antonio and have two children.

Amateur Facilities on Ballot for May Election

Bexar County Commissioners recently approved a list of regional amateur sports facilities recommended by a citizens committee that had been meeting since July.  The committee heard 19 presentations and each of the approved projects demonstrated and met specific criteria, including tourism impact, matching investment (public/private), a long-term plan for maintenance, operations and programming, return on investment, and a need for the facility in Bexar County.  The projects would be paid for using an extension of the venue tax which was passed to build the AT&T Center.  Voters will get to decide on an extension of the tax in May. The recommended projects total $80 million. 

San Antonio Sports Foundation facilities committee chair George Block co-chaired the citizen's committee.   "The County Commissioners have presented a tremendous opportunity to families in Bexar County," explains George.  "We can vote to develop 13 youth athletic complexes in every corner of our community.  But it is up to us.  We have to register, then vote, then encourage family and friends to register and vote, as well.  This is the ultimate grass-roots campaign.  Developing these facilities will create opportunities for whole generations of kids in Bexar County."  The recommended projects include: 

Precinct #1
Mission Concepción (volleyball, basketball & baseball): $16.1 million

Precinct #2
Culebra Creek (soccer):  $5.23 million
St. Mary’s University (outdoor sports complex):  $6 million
Van De Walle Missions (baseball):  $4 million

Precinct #3
UTSA (track & soccer):  $15 million
NISD Swim Center:  $7 million
Classic Elite (soccer):  $1.2 million
McAllister Park (baseball):  $ 2.67 million
Texas Fencing Center:  $2 million

Precinct #4
Hartman (soccer): $5 million
Brooks City Base (soccer):  $5 million
Wheatley Heights (sport fields & track): $7.5 million
Southeast Skyline (pony league baseball):  $3.3 million

Larry Hernandez Named 2007 Volunteer of the Year

Larry Hernandez was honored as the 2007 San Antonio Sports Foundation Volunteer of the Year at the organization’s December board of directors meeting. 

Sports Foundation volunteer director, Michelle Rodriguez, presented the award to Larry and thanked him for the 279 volunteer hours he worked in 2007.  Larry has taken on key volunteer positions with many premier Sports Foundation since 1993.  His next task is co-chairing the transportation committee for the 2008 NCAA Final Four.  Congratulations, Larry!

Kids & Harleys Makes Donation

Trevor Bird, representing For the Love of Kids & Harleys, presented a check for $57,000 to the San Antonio Sports Foundation this week at its January board meeting.  The wonderfully fun event held every fall was founded by five friends with a shared passion for Harley Davidson motorcycles and raising money for children’s charities.  The Sports Foundation sincerely appreciates the gift, which will support the organization’s youth initiatives which impact more than 160,000 children annually.

Honors and Awards
The Sports Foundation “family” has several
honors to celebrate this month:

Jenny Carnes, director of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee for the 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four, has been included in the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. The award recognizes young professionals whom the Business Journal has identified as tomorrow’s leaders. To be included, the chosen individuals have shown significant career advancement at a young age, commitment to their fields, community involvement or a combination of the three.
                                      
Terrell McCombs, chair of the Sports Foundation’s sales & marketing committee and vice president of McCombs Enterprises, has been appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice. 

Trinity University has won the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Year for 2007 for Tiger football’s “Trinity Miracle Play.”  The announcement of the win and a $100,000 general scholarship to Trinity was made on the Fox Network during halftime of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Championship Game in New Orleans.  Way to go Tigers! To see the winning 15-lateral play, visit www.trinitymiracle.com.

Sports Hall of Fame Tribute

Invitations are in the mail for the 2008 San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute.  On February 15, five sports standouts will be officially inducted into the Hall including Lyle Blackwood, Jerry Comalander, Josh Davis, Clyde Glossen and Cliff Johnson.  Proceeds will benefit the Sports Foundation’s youth initiatives.

The Hall of Fame Tribute is a beautiful, exciting evening featuring tremendous silent and live auctions, fabulous food and a moving, memorable induction ceremony.

Get details and purchase tickets today at sanantoniosports.org/halloffame.  Tickets range from $125 for an individual to $1,500 to $10,000 for eight-person tables.  Contact Myrna Reyes at mreyes@sanantoniosports.org for more information.

2008 NCAA Final Four

With 86 days until 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four® tip-off, things are heating up in the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee office and on the hardwoods!  Package sales are coming to a close, volunteer recruitment is at it’s peak and the official weekend schedule of events is growing and evolving everyday. 

Parents and youth coaches, register your young basketball players today for the YES Clinics fueled by POWERade®.  These are free basketball clinics conducted by college coaches and student-athletes during Final Four weekend on Saturday, April 5.  They will be held at Lackland Air Force Base, Trinity University and Sam Houston High School.  Participants must be 10-16 years old.  To register online, click here.

Get all the Final Four details and sign up for the official 2008 NCAA® Final Four e-newsletter, “The Road to San Antonio™”; just click here.

Hard at Work!   

Who says the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute is glamorous?  Kathy Colliander and Vola Bridges (pictured), have donated two days of their time to help get the invitations ready to mail. We have just finished staffing the volunteers for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and these ladies are already starting on our next event. 

If you’d like to join the Sports Foundation’s dedicated volunteer corps, register online at sanantoniosports.org or contact Michelle Rodriguez at mrodriguez@sanantoniosports.org.

Board Member Champions Youth

Dana Carter joined the San Antonio Sports Foundation board of directors four years ago, and currently serves as chair of the youth committee.  She was initially attracted to the Sports Foundation because of its youth programs.  “Children’s health issues are really important in San Antonio,” says Dana.  “I wanted to be a part of an organization that made a difference to our community’s children. Since becoming a part of the board, I’ve become more impressed with the lives the organization has touched through its youth initiatives.”  While Dana believes that many know the Sports Foundation for its high profile events, she plans to change that in 2008 so that more people recognize the Sports Foundation’s youth programs and the number of children it reaches. 

Dana is Vice President of the Private Bank for Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serving as relationship manager for high net worth individuals.  She enjoys playing tennis, running, skiing (both water and snow), and spending time with her 5-year old twins.  Her love of outdoors is realized through camping and fishing with her family.  Dana attended the University of Missouri, earning a BA in Finance.

Champions Club
Individual Members at $1,000+

Kathleen Acock; Justin Aglialoro; Tom Akin; Dr. Lawrence Anderson; Gary & Shelia Arthur; Rich Attkisson; William Avila; Scott Beckendorf; Col. George Becknell; George P. Becknell, III; Morton Baird; Ralph Bender; Johnny Birdsong; James Blackwood; Susan Blackwood; George Block; Carolun Blumit; Steve Bonnette; Diana Braschler; June Bratcher; Howard Burris; Jim Callaway; Pete Cangany; Dana Carter; Jeff Clark; Bud Curtis; Ross & Laura Davis; John Disler; James Doyle; Alan Dreeben; Jim Dublin; Charlie Ebrom; Steve Edlund; Donald Engelhardt; Tally Estrada; David Fevsdahl; Lisa & Frank Fichtel; Buddy Ford; Dr. Jaime Garza; Lisa Friel; Pat & Kelley Frost; James Gianopoulos; Claude Gilmer; Frank Gittinger; William Greehey; Bob Gurwitz; Bill & Marcia Hanson; Jim Hazen; Scott Helbing; Ronnie Hengst; Gary Henry; George C. Hixon; Janet Holliday; Michael Imbimbo; Steve Isom; Mary & Chuck Japhet, Gary Joeris; James Johnson; Stacey Johnson; Michael Jones; Kent Krauss; Dr. Gary Lawton; Michael J. Lynd, Jr.; Greg & Leigh Ann King; Lowry Mays; James Mickey; Sue Millican; Phil Miner; Dr. Edward Mueller; Randel Norris; Kelly O'Connor; Daniel & Annette Oliver; Manny Ortiz; Carlos Ramos; Juan Rangel; Bob & Laura Raymond; Tom Reardon; Jim & Katie Reed; Matthew Reedy; Mike Riordan; Charlie Roberts; Marty Roos; Lynn Roper; Dr. David Schmidt; George Scofield; Daniel Simons; Dr. Earl Smith; Tom Stephenson; Michael Stoltz; Virginia VanSteenberg; Richard Wade; Carri Wells; Jeff Wentworth; Robert Wright, Jr.; Paul Young; Bob Zeigler

Corporate Champions

City of San Antonio; AT&T

$50,000

IKON Office Solutions; San Antonio Express-News; Time Warner Cable; Valero Energy Corporation

$20,000

Pepsi Bottling Group; Freeman - Audio Visual Solutions; San Antonio Coca-Cola Bottling Co; Valero Energy Foundation

$10,000

Budget Car & Truck Rental; Corporate Travel Planners; Enterprise Rent A Car; Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar; Langley & Banack; Maverick Video Production; NuMedia; Paladin IT Services; Spectrum Health Clubs; Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio

$5,000

The Alamo Travel Group; George Becknell; Bender & Associates; BudCo., Inc.; The CE Group - Communication & Events; ChapmanSchewe Benefits Consulting; Comet Neon Advertising; Core – Mark International, Inc.; Ernst & Young; Frost Bank; H-E-B Grocery Company; The Gambrinus Company; KPMG; Merrill Lynch; Methodist Healthcare System; Miner Corporation; NuStar Energy; The Plaza Club; RunTex; Security Service Federal Credit Union; Sterling Bank; SWBC; The Trust Company; US Global Investors; Walton Signage; Wells Fargo Bank; Zachry Hospitality, Inc.

$2,500

Accenture LLP; Allegra Print & Imaging; Allied Advertising; Arnold Oil Company; Brant Engineering; Broadway National Bank; C H Guenther & Son; Chelsea’s Sandwiches of Texas Inc.; Colonial Supplemental Insurance; Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated; Don Strange of Texas, Inc.; Ear Medical Group; FIRSTMARK Credit Union; GLI Distributing; Halo Distributing; HMS Host; Jani-King of San Antonio; Jefferson Bank; MassMutual/The South Texas Agency; MarmonMok Architecture; Marriott Plaza San Antonio; Marriott Rivercenter/Riverwalk; Mission Pharmacal; Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, Inc.; PMG, Inc.; Republic National Distributing Comapny, LLC; San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; Sterling Foods Inc.; Tesoro Petroleum Companies; Texas Automotive Paint Supply Co., Lp; USSA Real Estate Company; Yantis Company

Grants/Foundations

The AT&T Foundation; The Alfred S. Gage Foundation; Bexar County Health & Human Services CDBG; Brown Foundation; Charity Ball Foundation; Criminal Justice Division JJDP Grant; Criminal Justice Division Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant; GAC Halff Foundation; Light Foundation; Myra Stafford Pryor Charitable Trust; The Sequor Foundation; David & Betty Sachs Foundation; Smith Barney; USSA Foundation; Women’s Sports Foundation

Founding Sponsors

City of San Antonio; H-E-B; USAA Foundation, A Charitable Trust; Valero Energy Corporation