The San Antonio River Foundation recently 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.

Kicking off the fundraising efforts in 2007, AT&T made the first official corporate donation to the River Foundation with a 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,” Stephenson said. “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).

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.