We Couldn't Have Done It Without You

Team USA is on it’s way to representing our country in the U19 FIBA Worlds thanks to their gold medal performance in the Tournament of the Americas! The Sports Foundation has several other individuals and groups that deserve a gold medal for their performance in putting on the Championship event.

First of all to our MVP leader, Bill Greehey, chairman of the Tournament of the Americas! Thank you, Bill, for your leadership and incredible level of support.  And to your alma mater, St. Mary’s University, thanks to the great staff who had a willingness to make all our guests feel welcome. The venue was beautiful!

To the managers and staff at the Drury Hotel, El Tropicana, Embassy Suites, Hyatt St. Anthony, Riverwalk Plaza, Marriott Rivercenter, Menger, Radisson and Westin hotels. We thank you for 720 room nights for the teams and the service and hospitality shown to each and every guest.

Hundreds of miles were logged transporting teams and VIPS throughout San Antonio thanks to the generous provision of vehicles provided by Ancira Chrysler Jeep, Ancira Used Cars, Bill Munday’s South Point Dodge, Cavender Saturn, Cornerstone Christian School, Fiesta Auto Center, Jordan Ford, Northside Ford, Red McCombs Ford, Red McCombs Superior Pontiac GM, Red McCombs Toyota and Universal Toyota.

To the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association, H-E-B, St. Philip’s College Culinary Arts Program and Enchanted Springs Ranch: the opening ceremonies and dinner could not have been more western and tasty! Every athlete thoroughly enjoyed our night on the ranch to set the tone for a very competitive tournament.

To the staff and members of the San Antonio Restaurant Association: we are so grateful for the over 50 meals that your members donated. Hundreds of young men went to bed each night after experiencing the culinary best of San Antonio. Please see the list of the generous restaurants in this newsletter and please frequent these hosts in the near future.

Without the hours of service and tons of food, lunches at Holy Rosary Church Hall would not have happened.  The RK Group provided 1575 lunches and Fresh Horizons provided lunches on Sunday, July 2 when most other establishments were closed.  Over 500 pounds of lunch meats and many loaves of bread also supplemented the hot lunches thanks to Mrs. Baird’s Bread and Farmland. Hospitality rooms were also furnished by Pepsi, Don Strange Catering, The Gambrinus Company and the CE Group.

Kudos to the several individuals that hosted team meals including: Drs. Gab and Gladys Magraner, Andrew Parker, Susan McGee and Frank Holmes, Bob Raymond and George Becknell.

FIBA delegates and referees flew to San Antonio with tickets donated by Corporate Travel Planners through their Rennert Travel Division. Thanks, Christie Richardson and your team!

We are also very grateful to special event sponsors Pepsi, Valero and AT & T.  These generous companies provided those needed funds to pay all of the other out-of-pocket expenses (a very long list).  Patron package holders donated funds to purchase a total of 720 tickets to youth and community organizations around San Antonio.

Our media sponsors donated valuable ad space to help promote the event.  Thanks to Time Warner Cable, the San Antonio Express-News, Clear Channel Radio, News 4 WOAI-TV, Clear Channel Outdoor and La Prensa.

And last, but not least, hats off to the hundreds of Sports Foundation volunteers who donated thousands of hours to make the event a huge success.

Tournament of the Americas a Real Winner

After five days of incredible competition among seven teams from our hemisphere, the Tournament of the Americas, officially known as the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men, ended with Team USA taking home the gold medal.  Argentina earned silver and Brazil won the bronze after defeating Canada.  For complete tournament results, click here.

The Sports Foundation, which hosted the Tournament of the Americas along with USA Basketball, thanks our volunteers, sponsors and the fans who turned out to see the future NBA and Olympic superstars take the court at St. Mary’s University’s Bill Greehey Arena, June 28-July 2.  Check out our online photo gallery and relive the experience. 

We particularly want to thank those who fed the international athletes morning, noon and night including:

Sports Foundation Kicks Off Birdies for Charity Program  

The San Antonio Sports Foundation is once again participating in the Birdies for Charity program, a fundraiser held in conjunction with the Valero Texas Open.  We are asking everyone to make a minimum pledge of one-penny per birdie made during the 2006 Valero Texas Open.  Of course, you can always pledge more if you like, or make a flat contribution of at least $20.00.  This year the “Birdies Club” has been introduced for corporate donors or individuals who pledge a minimum of $1 per birdie or make a straight contribution of $1,000 or more.  In turn, you will be recognized as a proud Birdies Club member on a sign displayed during the tournament week.  You will also receive two weekend tickets and a parking pass to the Valero Texas Open at La Cantera, September 18-24, 2006.

Another exciting aspect of this program is the Guess the Birdies Contest.  Correctly guess the number of birdies made during the tournament and you could win an all-new 2006 Buick vehicle courtesy of General Motors.  Here’s a hint:  2531 birdies were made last year.

To participate in Birdies for Charity, go to www.golfsanantonio.org and click on the Charity Events icon.  From there, choose the Birdies for Charity link, which will take you to the payment page.  When you get to the select a charity section, scroll down until you find San Antonio Sports Foundation Dreams for Youth.  Or, contact Gretchen Garceau-Kragh at 820-2109 or gkragh@sanantoniosports.org  to have pledge forms mailed to you.

Salute to Coaches Awards

The San Antonio Sports Foundation has named two community leaders to receive its 2006 Salute to Coaches Award in the community category. 

Paul Josephs is a volunteer coach of football and basketball with the Mays Family YMCA.  Some of the comments from the many nominating letters written by the youth athletes he coaches and their parents include:  “Paul Josephs’ impact on the Mays YMCA has been immeasurable.  His influence has not only been on the kids that he coaches, but their parents, the coaches that he plays against, and even the directors at the Y who run the programs.  Paul has gone to great lengths to insure that sportsmanship, fair play, respect, and self esteem are at the center of building the character of young men. Ask any parent who has had a child play for Paul and they will say one thing:  ‘Best coach we ever had!’  This is not because he wins on the field, but because he is equipping young people to win in the game of life.”  Josephs is Vice President, Sales & Marketing for DPT Laboratories, Ltd.

Delia Martinez leads a fitness program for low income seniors at the San Antonio Sports Foundation’s Dreams for Youth Training Center.  Her nominee explains, “Our trainer provides much more than exercise, she consistently contributes compassionate counseling and spirit of achievement to all who participate.  Five years have passed since I stepped foot out of my apartment.  Ms. Martinez, for two hours each day, has given me a part of my life back that I have dearly missed.  Although exercise is of great value to me, it somehow remains supplicant to the compassion of social involvement.”

Get Involved! 
Premier Fencing & Swimming Championships

Join the Sports Foundation in welcoming members of the U.S. Olympic family to San Antonio in August by volunteering for two great events.  The Sports Foundation will assist in staging the U.S. Paralympics National Swimming Championships and the Pan American Cadet/Junior Fencing Championships.

The U.S. Paralympics National Swimming Championships will take place August 10–12 at the Palo Alto College Natatorium. The three days of competition will conclude with the announcement of the World Championships Team Selection at 9:00am on Sunday, August 13. 

World-class fencers from 24 countries will meet in San Antonio, August 23–27, for the Pan American Cadet/Junior Fencing Championships. Top fencers from this event will qualify to compete in the Junior/World Championships and/or the Pan American Games in 2007.

Be a part of these exciting national and international events, interact with world-class athletes and help San Antonio make a great impression.  Sports Foundation volunteers are the best!  Contact Michelle Rodriguez at 820-2191 or mrodriguez@sanantoniosports.org to volunteer today.

Cash Prizes for Local Volleyball Tournament

The San Antonio Sports will be the nonprofit beneficiary of Fatso’s Sports Garden’s first annual Summer Two Man Sand Volleyball Tournament, August 5-6, sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors. The tournament will award $6000 in cash prizes to two-person men’s and women’s open divisions.

Register your team by July 31 online at www.fatsossportsgarden.com or contact tournament director Alan White at (210) 601-7187 or awhite-afs@satx.rr.com for more information.

Fencers Fare Well at National Championship

USA Fencing’s 2006 Summer National Championships were held in Atlanta, GA from June 30-July 6.  Several local fencers did well.

Under-19-Year-Old Women’s Epee Team. (L to R) Coach Wendell Kubik, Gaby Strass, Kristin Howell, Kim Howell, and Coach Jose Sanchez

Kelley Hurley took first place in Division I Women’s Epee.  She also placed first in U-19 Women’s Epee out of 92 competitors.  Sports Foundation fencer Kristin Howell took 6th in U-19 Women’s Epee.  Courtney Hurley placed 3rd in Division I Women’s Epee, and took 1st in Under-16 Women’s Epee.  Sports Foundation fencer Sydney Doolittle placed 8th in Youth-10 Women’s Epee out of 22 competitors.  Kristen and Kimberly Howell and Gabriella Strass placed 7th out of 27 in U-19 Team Women’s Epee. 

Mark and Steven Kubik placed 3rd in the Senior Team Men’s Foil, and 5th in the Junior Team Men’s Foil.  There were 32 and 39 teams respectively.

Badminton Athletes Score

Dreams for Youth participants Crystal Bustamante, Veronika Gutierrez, and Rosalio Urrabazo exercised their badminton skills in the 2006 US Junior Nationals Championship held in Orange, California from July 5–July 9.  The Sports Foundation is pleased to congratulate their stellar performances that resulted in Top 8 placements in the U22, U19, and U17 Girl's Doubles competitions.

Our GoGirlGo! Team  

The San Antonio Sports Foundation welcomes our new office mates at the Alamodome, Laura Cabanilla-Cruz (L) and Lauren Gordon (R) from the Women's Sports Foundation who have been hired to launch GoGirlGo! San Antonio.  This program is designed to promote physical activity among 8-18 year old girls in order to decrease the physical and psychological risks that result from inactivity.

The San Antonio Sports Foundation is the grant-making partner of the Women's Sports Foundation, which will allocate grants to Girl Serving Organizations in the city of San Antonio for implementation of the GoGirlGo! San Antonio program. Laura as project leader and Lauren as community relations leader will work together to secure and connect the volunteers, finances, and materials needed to make GoGirlGo! San Antonio a success.

GoGirlGo! San Antonio is scheduled to launch in late September. For more information contact Laura Cabanilla-Cruz at 210-820-2128 or lccruz@womenssportsfoundation.org.

Champions Club
Individual Members at $1,000+

Gary & Shelia Arthur; Morton Baird; Sam Barshop; Ed Benninger; James Blackwood; Susan Blackwood; June Bratcher; Tim Brierty; Howard Burris; Jim Callaway; Jeff Clark; Ross Davis; James Doyle; Jim Dublin; Charlie Ebrom; Steve Edlund; Donald Engelhardt; Dr. Frank Fichtel; Pat & Kelley Frost; Dr. Jamie Garza; Claude Gilmer; William Greehey; Joe Guinn; Bill & Marcia Hanson; Cheryl Haywood; Peter Holt; Michael Imbimbo; Scott Hefner; Scott Helbing; George C. Hixon; Steve Isom; Stacey Johnson; Michael Jourdan; Greg & Leigh Ann King; James Mickey; Phil Miner; Bob & Laura Raymond; Tom Reardon; Marty Roos; Dr. Robert Schnitzler; Dr. David Schmidt; Dr. Earl Smith; Steve Souter; Neill Walsdorf, Jr.; Carri Wells; Jeff Wentworth; Paul Young

Corporate Champions

City of San Antonio; AT&T

$50,000

Creative Link; IKON Office Solutions; San Antonio Express-News; Valero Energy Corporation

$20,000

Langley & Banack; Pepsi Bottling Group; San Antonio Coca-Cola Bottling Co; Whataburger, Inc.

$10,000

Budget Car & Truck Rental; Cingular Wireless; Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar; Maverick Video Production; NuMedia: Oak Farms Dairy; Paladin IT Services; Spectrum Health Clubs; Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio, The Dominion Country Club

$5,000

George Becknell; Bender & Associates; BudCo., Inc.; The CE Group - Communication & Events; ChapmanSchewe Benefits Consulting; Comet Neon Advertising; The Darmstetter Company; Ernst & Young; Frost Bank; H-E-B Grocery Company; The Gambrinus Company; Hertz Corporation; KPMG; Marriott Plaza San Antonio; Merrill Lynch; Methodist Healthcare System; Miner Corporation; The Plaza Club; Security Service Federal Credit Union; Sterling Bank; SWBC; US Global Investors; Walton Signage; Wells Fargo Bank; Zachry Hospitality, Inc.

$2,500

Allegra Print & Imaging; Allied Advertising; Bank of America; Broadway National Bank; Catering by Don Strange; Colonial Supplemental Insurance; Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated; Ear Medical Group; FIRSTMARK Credit Union; First Rate Investment Systems; GLI Distributing; Halo Distributing; Marriott Plaza San Antonio; Marriott Rivercenter/Riverwalk; Mission Pharmacal; Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, Inc.; San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; Sterling Foods; Tesoro Petroleum Companies; Yantis Company

Grants/Foundations

The Alfred S. Gage Foundation, Bexar County Health & Human Services CDBG; Bexar County Women's Bar Foundation; Brown Foundation; Charity Ball Foundation; Coleman 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; Women’s Sports Foundation

Founding Sponsors

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