JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Salutes Wounded Warriors With Grand Opening Gala Fundraiser

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa announced details of its special Grand Opening Salute Gala scheduled for March 20. To commemorate the launch of the world's largest JW Marriott Resort, the San Antonio property will host a fundraising gala honoring America's military service men and women who have been injured in the line of duty. More than 25 Wounded Warriors and their families will attend the weekend festivities. All proceeds from the event weekend will be donated to the national Fisher House Foundation, Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100222/DA59103)

"This is a very special property in the JW Marriott Resort group," said Arthur Coulombe, general manager of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. "We felt an exceptional launch should reflect Marriott's commitment to our communities. San Antonio is known as Military City USA, so what better way to honor the brave men and women who protect and serve our country everyday. We are dedicating the Grand Opening Salute of the resort to our Wounded Warriors and the organizations that care for them and their families."

The star-studded gala will culminate in a once-in-a-lifetime concert featuring three generations of country music legends. John Rich will be joined by Wynonna and Kenny Rogers for a special performance. Celebrity support of the event reaches all aspects of news, armed forces and entertainment. Notable names and faces scheduled to attend or take part in the ceremonies include: Barbara Walters of ABC News; retired Gen. Richard B. Meyers, USAF; retired Gen. Peter Pace, USMC; and NBA Hall of Fame member David Robinson.

The gala is being co-chaired nationally by J.W. Marriott Jr. of Marriott International; Timothy Finchem, commissioner of the PGA TOUR; Jim Miller, president of Miller Global Properties; Georgette Mosbacher, CEO of Borghese Inc.; and Eyal Ofer, co-chair of Miller Global Properties.

The local host committee includes: Charlie Amato, CEO of Southwest Business Corporation; retired Gen. Donald G. Cook, USAF; Dave Johnstone, vice president of Miller Global Properties; Dennis Noll, CEO of Kinetic Concepts Inc.; Jimmy Terry, general manager, TPC San Antonio; Carrie Baker Wells, president of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; Scott White, executive director of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau; Katie Harvey, CEO of KGBTexas Public Relations / Advertising; and Bexar County Judge Nelson W. Wolff.

The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa features the all new Tournament Players Club (TPC) San Antonio. In advance of the gala, TPC San Antonio will host a special golf tournament on its two PGA TOUR championship courses designed by Greg Norman and Pete Dye. All proceeds of the tournament will benefit the three charities.

Tickets and Reservations

The resort is offering a variety of special overnight packages to the gala with admission to an opening ribbon cutting by J.W. Marriott Jr., the gala dinner and headliner concert starting at $850 per couple. Individual tickets to the dinner and concert start at $400 per person. To make reservations, learn more about sponsorship opportunities or get the latest information regarding special guests, please visit jwsanantonio.com or call (210) 483-6620.

About the Charities

The Fisher House Foundation is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes" built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful of times — during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease or injury. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. For more information. visit fisherhouse.org.

Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum / Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

For more than 30 years, the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid sailed the oceans in defense of our nation and our freedom. Today, as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and a national historic landmark, Intrepid serves as a symbol for the heroism, leadership, strength and endurance of those who served on her in wartime and in peace. The mission of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth. For more information, visit intrepidmuseum.org.

Intrepid is also home to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a national nonprofit organization established in 2000 to provide support for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families. In January 2007, the Fund completed construction of the Center for the Intrepid, a $55-million world-class, state-of the-art physical rehabilitation center serving amputee and severe burn patients at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

The Fund is currently addressing another critical issue faced by our wounded troops: the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md., a $60-million facility, will be our nation's primary center for research, diagnosis and treatment of TBI and has been fast tracked to open in 2010. For more information, visit fallenheroesfund.org.

World-Class Accommodations Blended with Hill Country Hospitality

Deemed the perfect location to open the first JW Marriott Resort in Texas, the highly anticipated JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa offers discriminating travelers an unrivaled experience of natural elegance. Set on 600 picturesque acres of rolling hills, meandering creeks and Live Oak trees, guests can restore and explore all just minutes away from San Antonio. For more information visit jwsanantonio.com.

JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that their guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 45 JW Marriott hotels in 19 countries; by 2013 the portfolio will encompass 72 properties in 27 countries.

SOURCE JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa