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Valero Texas Open Grants
The second annual Shots, Chips and Salsa with the Stars took place on March 27 at the Westin La Cantera Resort … and WOW, what a success! Defending Champion Eric Axley and The Westin La Cantera Resort hosted current and prospective sponsors of the Valero Texas Open, as well as 66 charitable organizations from our community that had applied for grants from the Valero Texas Open. The Valero Texas Open and Golf San Antonio surprised four of the San Antonio Charities present by awarding them each a $100,000 grant from proceeds of the 2006 tournament.
GSA’s Charity Committee, headed by Tony Cherone, General Manager of the Westin La Cantera Resort, was diligent in their review of the grant applications. Grants were awarded to organizations that the committee felt best met the application criteria – a compelling story, a clear description of the specific use for donated funds, the number of individuals that would be impacted by the contribution and the organization’s fundraising results in our Birdies for Charity program.
More than 8,000 lives will be touched through the contributions made to this year’s grant recipients: Family Service Association, Medina Children’s Home, Mission Road Ministries, and San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind.
Family Service Association will utilize their grant to continue the mission work at The Neighborhood Place, which provides immediate relief for children and their families and teaches them skills and tools necessary to alleviate immediate needs and sustain success. According to Shannon Nisbet, Director of Development, “The number of lives we will change through this grant is so incredible! Children will be healed from abuse. Mothers and fathers will learn to become parents. Families will lead more productive lives. So many people served by The Neighborhood Place are now indebted to a wonderful group of golfers and tournament sponsors they’ll never know, but who nonetheless are responsible for changing their lives. We are honored and proud to be one of your community partners.”
Medina Children’s Home will use their funds to increase the number of safe haven facilities where single adult women and their children can learn basic life skills; giving them hope for a better life. Additionally, the single mother is educated and taught job skills to enable her to become a productive part of society and to eliminate her need for financial support from outside government sources. George Rose, CEO commented, “It was such an honor for Medina Children's Home to be one of the selected charities to receive this generous grant. These funds will assist in providing a safe haven for many children and single mothers who do not have a home of their own. On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff and residents, I would like to express our deep appreciation to all of those individuals who have made this wonderful gift possible. The Valero Texas Open has been a real blessing to our community.”
Mission Road Ministries ministers mentally retarded individuals and others with developmental disabilities; preparing them to live as independently as possible. Funds will be used to remodel their current gym, transforming it into a multi-purpose building that will provide a place to teach life skills in the areas of grooming & hygiene, health and wellness, financial concepts and pedestrian safety, and more. "We are overwhelmed with joy and the generosity of Golf San Antonio and the Valero Texas Open. We wish to thank Valero and all the tournament sponsors across the country for helping us provide quality care to children with developmental disabilities," according to Suzanne Letch, Vice President of Development and Public Relations.
San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind provides students ages 16 to 22 with vision loss and other disabilities, vocational and technology training, career guidance and basic life skills training. The funds they receive today will allow them to expand their School to Work Transition Program to reach a greater number of students. The program prepares youth with blindness, visual impairments and/or other disabilities for the world of work through practical work experience. In accepting the grant award, Mike Gilliam, Executive Director, stated, “On behalf of our 150 blind employees and the blind special education students who will benefit from this grant, I can't thank you enough. You don't know how special this is for the Lighthouse and for me. Having officially been the Executive Director for only two weeks and with a new Fund Development Director reporting Monday, this award couldn't have come at a better time. And coming from an incredible business citizens like Golf San Antonio and Valero makes it even more special."
After the grants were awarded, Phil Crane, the new Charity Chairman of Golf San Antonio, announced that the Golf San Antonio Charity Committee will begin accepting applications on November 16th for grant awards generated from proceeds of the 2007 Valero Texas Open at La Cantera. Applications will only be available to charities and schools participating in the Birdies for Charity® and Chip In for Schools programs that have raised a minimum of five hundred dollars. |
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