Season’s Greetings

’Tis the Season! Can you believe it…where did the year go?  Please don’t forget to renew your San Antonio Sports Foundation individual membership and, if you aren’t a member, consider this special time of the year as a time that you can help the Foundation make a difference!  

As a member, you can guarantee more boys and girls have a chance to participate in sports and fitness programs to build a healthier and more prosperous community.  You can insure that we will be successful in bringing more premier amateur sports events to San Antonio.  Most importantly, you can personally invest in making sure the Sports Foundation will stay viable another 24 years!

It is as easy as clicking here to make an online donation, or you may contact membership director, Dorsena Picknell at 210-820-2112 or dpicknell@sanantoniosports.org.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Dr. Susan Blackwood
Executive Director

New Officers and Board Members Elected

The San Antonio Sports Foundation is pleased to announce the election of new officers and members to our board of directors.  As of January 1, 2008 Gary Arthur (Valero) will become the Chairman of the board.  Current chairman, George Becknell (George P. Becknell III, Insurance and Investment Planner) will remain on the board as a member of the executive committee.  Other officers include Bob Raymond (IKON Office Solutions) Chair-elect; Mike Stoltz (Ernst & Young) Treasurer; and Joe Linson (Chelsea’s Sandwiches of Texas) Secretary.

The new board members include Rod Cunningham (Oak Farms Dairy), Jim Heany (Sterling Bank), Michael Jones (Siemens Networks, LLC), Bob McGann (KENS-TV), Danny Oliver (NuStar Energy L.P.), Corky Roth (Time Warner Cable), Otto Schwethelm (Tesoro Corporation) and Woody Staub (KCI).

We thank each of these individuals for their personal and professional dedication to the success of the San Antonio Sports Foundation.

Congratulations, Leslie

The Sports Foundation congratulates our good friend Leslie Luther on her promotion to Associate Director-Executive Support at AT&T Inc.  Leslie had been the executive assistant to former Sports Foundation chairman Jim Callaway,  Senior Executive Vice President-Executive Operations at AT&T Inc.  She is a trusted friend and advisor and we wish her well in her new position.

Football in the Air!

San Antonio is heaven on earth for football fans these days.   The Dr. Pepper Big 12 Football Championship was a huge success in the Alamodome on December 1.  Congratulations to the Alamodome and Alamo Bowl staffs on a stellar event. 

Of course, they can’t rest on their laurels as the UIL 5A State Football Championships take place in the dome on Saturday, December 22.  The Division I matchup is at 2 p.m. with the Division II game at 7 p.m.  For brackets and ticket information click here.

Just a week later on December 29, the 2007 Valero Alamo Bowl kicks off with Texas A&M taking on Penn State in the 15th anniversary of this great event.  Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com. 

And to top off the holiday season with even more football, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, featuring the nation’s top high school football talent, takes place in the Alamodome on January 5.  Tickets are also available through Tickemaster.com.

Launch of the Official 2008 NCAA Final Four Website

The official 2008 NCAA® Men’s Final Four® Web site is now live through www.NCAAsports.com/finalfour.  The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) and NCAA staff have created a one-stop resource that will provide fans across the country and in San Antonio with up-to-date information on the activities throughout the Final Four weekend, April 4 – 7, 2008.   
          
Register to be one of 2,000 volunteers needed by going to NCAAsports.com/finalfour and clicking on the Men’s Final Four logo.  Fans can also sign up for an electronic newsletter that will give regular updates about all the events surrounding the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio, including The Big Dance, Hoop City, the Dome Dribble and many more. 

The launch of the site coincides with the unveiling of over 3,500 volunteer shifts now available for all Final Four activities and programs.  Whether it’s giving people directions from their hotel welcome desk or helping people at a Big Dance concert, you’ll be sure to find the perfect volunteer shift here that meets your needs and fits your personality.

SALOC Ticket Packages Running Out

SALOC’s 2008 Men’s & 2010 Women’s fundraising efforts are nearing the end with only a few remaining packages to sell before meeting our goal.  If you haven’t purchased tickets to the 2008 Final Four yet, don’t wait another day!  We fully expect to be sold out by the end of the year.  Corporate and individual packages are available here or by calling Elena Stout at 210/820-2127.

Most Fit Awards for the Valero Go!Kids Challenge™

Dr. John folks, Dr. Susan Blackwood and Mr. Mark Rustan with Jumping Jack and Active Annie.

Bob Beard Elementary School (Northside ISD) was the site of a special award ceremony for the 2007 Valero Go!Kids Challenge™ Most Fit Superintendent and Most Fit Principal.  Winners Dr. John Folks, Northside’s superintendent, and Mark Rustan, principal of Bob Beard Elementary were given their prizes at an assembly with over 600 students.  Each received a certificate and won a $50 gift card from Valero Corner Stores and a three-month personal training package from CATZ Sports.  Both were recognized for their leadership in fitness and health and for supporting the Valero Go!Kids Challenge.  Joining the fun were Go!Kids mascots Jumping Jack and Active Annie.  Both men reminded students why it’s important to exercise every day and to eat healthfully. 

The Sports Foundation is also rewarding 33 PE teachers whose schools had at least an 80% completion rate in the 2007 Valero Go!Kids Challenge.  Each will receive a $50 gift card to Valero Corner Stores thanks to the generosity of Valero.

Volunteers Suit Up 

As mentioned above, this is football season in San Antonio and that means Sports Foundation volunteers will be working hard, particularly in support of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  More than 180 Sports Foundation volunteers will support all of the events surrounding the big game.  “We can’t thank our volunteers often enough for their dedication,” said Michelle Rodriguez, the Sports Foundations volunteer coordinator.  “Our volunteers are generous and talented.  It’s a great relief to be able to depend on them and know that every job will get done well.”

We also want to commend Sports Foundation board members Terrell McCombs, Carlos Ramos, and Steve Richards along with Circle of Champions members Marc Licon and Jim Pitman for their help with our fundraising phone bank last week.  They were joined by volunteers Steve Reyes and Eric Wilmeth of McCombs Enterprises.  They were very successful in generating new and renewing Sports Foundation memberships.

If you’d like to get off the sidelines and get in the game, sign up today to become a Sports Foundation volunteer.  There’s a fit for everyone.  Just click here to register.

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; 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; 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; 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