Golf Tournament Events Make ajor Donations to Local Children's Charities

More than fifty local charities split $1.5 million from San Antonio’s share of the Valero Texas Open’s record $8 million charitable contribution

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 6, 2007 – More than 50 San Antonio-area children’s charities received their shares of $1.5 million, the local portion of the record-breaking $8 million raised at this year’s Valero Texas Open and the Valero Benefit for Children Golf Classic. The Valero Texas Open was once again the top charitable fundraiser on the PGA TOUR.

Each year as part of the tournament’s fundraising efforts, employees at Valero’s headquarters and each of its facilities nominate and then select children’s charities in their areas to receive donations. This year, employees selected a record 500 charities to receive funds. That process culminates in events like the one that took place today at Valero’s headquarters, where officials presented checks totaling $1.5 million from the proceeds raised at the Valero Benefit for Children Golf Classic to more than 50 area charities.

The $1.5 million represents the San Antonio area’s share of the $8 million total. The remaining funds will be distributed to children’s charities throughout the areas where Valero does business.

Golf San Antonio, the longtime organizer of the Valero Texas Open, raised more than $2 million, which will also benefit a number of area schools and community groups in and around San Antonio.

“It’s great to be recognized as the top fundraising event on the PGA TOUR,” said Joe Gorder, Valero’s Executive Vice President of Marketing & Supply, who oversaw Valero’s tournament efforts this year. ”But what’s really important is the fact that these donations will make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of children all across the country. Everyone – from our business partners who sponsored the tournament to the hundreds of our employees who volunteered to put the event on – should be proud of that.”

In recognition of its record success, the PGA TOUR Tournaments Association (PGATTA) recently presented the Valero Texas Open with its Benefactor Award for raising the most money for charity among all of the tournaments on the 2007 TOUR.

Dedicated to improving children’s lives, San Antonio community agencies receiving donations provide a variety of services, including shelter for abused and abandoned children, educational and recreational programs for at-risk youths, and medical services for disadvantaged and/or disabled children. This year’s local grant recipients include:

* Alamo Children’s Advocacy Center (ChildSafe)
* Academy of Creative Education (ACE)
* Any Baby Can
* The ARC of San Antonio
* Avance San Antonio
* Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas
* Blessed Sacrament Academy Child Development Center
* Boy Scouts of America – Alamo Area Council
* Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio
* Boys and Girls Clubs of the Texas Hill Country – Boerne Unit
* Boysville
* Brighton School
* Child Abuse Prevention Service (dba Healthy Families of San Antonio)
* Child Advocates San Antonio
* Child Guidance Center of San Antonio
* Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP)
* The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas
* The Children’s Shelter of San Antonio
* The Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society
* Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Foundation
* Christus Santa Rosa NICU
* Communities In Schools of San Antonio
* Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Lone Star Chapter
* Ewing Educational Center
* Family Service Association
* Family Violence Prevention Services
* Father Flanagan’s Girls and Boys Town
* The First Tee
* The Friends of the Ronald McDonald House
* Girls Incorporated of San Antonio
* Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
* Healy Murphy Center
* Juvenile Outreach and Vocational Network (JOVEN)
* Kinetic Kids
* Lopez/Feherty Foundation
* Medina Children’s Home
* Miracle League of San Antonio, Inc.
* Mission Road Developmental Center
* National Multiple Sclerosis Society – Lone Star Chapter (MS Kid’s Camp)
* Parent and Child Education Service – Early Childhood
* Positive Beginnings
* Respite Care of San Antonio
* Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives
* SAM’S Kids Student Foundation
* SAMMinistries
* San Antonio Livestock Exposition
* San Antonio Youth Center
* Seton Home
* Slam Dunk for Life
* Southwest Mental Health Center
* St Jude’s Ranch for Children – Bulverde, TX
* St. Jude’s Center for Children Emergency Shelter (New Braunfels)
* St. Peter-St. Joseph (St. PJ’s) Children’s Home
* Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children
* Texas Lions League for Children
* YMCA of Greater San Antonio
* Young Life of San Antonio

Valero Texas Open organizer Golf San Antonio will award more than $2 million to more than 200 not-for-profit organizations and area schools through its Pro-Am events; the Birdies for Charity program in which nonprofit organizations solicit pledges for every birdie made during tournament week; and the Chip In for Schools program that allows schools to keep the proceeds of discounted tournament tickets that they sell.