For Immediate Release

Contact:
Rebekah Haynes
KGBTexas Public Relations/Advertising
(210) 826-8899
bekahh@kgbtexas.com

San Antonio River Foundation Celebrates Fundraising Milestone,
Announces New Campaign Leaders

(Feb. 29, 2008) SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio River Foundation today thanked AT&T for its leadership and generosity in the Foundation’s monumental first year of fundraising. Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T, recognized former CEO Ed Whitacre as the leader of the River Foundation’s capital campaign committee in 2007, and reiterated the importance of the Foundation’s mission and AT&T’s support of the organization before passing the torch to 2008 committee co-chairs Tom Stephenson and Barbara Dreeben.

The San Antonio River Foundation is responsible for raising private funds to provide the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP) with the unique cultural, aesthetic, educational, and recreational enhancements and amenities that will make it a truly exceptional community treasure, unlike any other city park in the nation.

“Thanks to the generosity of our corporate donors, including AT&T, and the leadership of Ed Whitacre and Randall Stephenson, the River Foundation is already well on its way to reaching its goals for the project.” said Edward “Sonny” Collins, III, San Antonio River Foundation board president. “We are very pleased with the response we have received from the corporate community, and we expect even better things are still to come.”

Kicking off the fundraising efforts in 2007, AT&T made the first official corporate donation to the River Foundation with a generous gift of $5 million. Other corporate gifts soon followed from Frost Bank, H-E-B, the McCombs Foundation, Rio Perla, Toyota, the USAA Foundation and Valero, adding up to a total of nearly $13 million.

“While we are very pleased with all the success we had last year, there is still a great deal of work to be done,” said Randall Stephenson. “Fortunately, we have very capable and dedicated leaders stepping in to continue the efforts of the capital campaign in 2008.”

The committee’s new co-chairs, San Antonio Express-News publisher Tom Stephenson and community leader Barbara Dreeben, will focus this year’s outreach on visionary individuals and business leaders of the San Antonio community as well as national and international corporations.
“The capital campaign is already well on its way to another successful year of fundraising, with pledges already reaching upwards of $600,000,” said Tom Stephenson. “The dedication and hard work of the members on this committee are what will allow San Antonio to take the vision for the River Improvements Project to the next level.”

Members of the committee include Michael Beldon (Beldon Roofing), Jim Callaway (AT&T), Henry Cisneros (City View), Jay Clingman (Chase Bank), Edward “Sonny” Collins (San Antonio River Foundation), Maria Cossio-Ameduri, Tim Hixon (Hixon Land & Cattle), Nick Hollis, Wendi Strong (USAA), Bill West (Taylor West Advertising), and Kenny Wilson (Bank of America).
Also attending the press conference were Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Tom Weaver, chairman of the board for the San Antonio River Authority, and Mary Alice Cisneros, San Antonio City Councilwoman for District 1.

“This community owes a great debt of gratitude to all those who donate to this cause,” said Wolff. “We would not be able to reach the full potential of the River Improvements Project without the dollars raised by the San Antonio River Foundation. With the Foundation’s help, this 15-mile linear park will truly be in a league of its own.”

The San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP) is an ongoing public/private investment in flood control, amenities, ecosystem restoration and recreational improvements along 13 miles of the San Antonio River. Partners in the SARIP include the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the San Antonio River Authority, the San Antonio River Oversight Committee and the San Antonio River Foundation.

The San AntonioRiver Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to secure community involvement and financial resources to enhance the natural beauty, recreational use, and public appreciation of the San AntonioRiver. Since its inception in 2003, the River Foundation has been actively involved in the San AntonioRiver Improvements Project, a multi-year plan to restore and enhance a 13-mile extension of the San AntonioRiver, creating an extraordinary linear park from BrackenridgePark on the north to Mission Espada on the south. For more information on the River Foundation, visit www.sariverfoundation.org.

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