The PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour has selected Returning Heroes Home, Inc. of Houston, TX, a beneficiary of the AT&T Championship in San Antonio, TX, as its 2009 Charity of the Year.  The announcement was made by Champions Tour President Mike Stevens at the annual Champions Tour Tournament Association (CTTA) meetings held this week in San Antonio.

As the 2009 Champions Tour Charity of the Year, Returning Heroes Home, Inc. will receive $30,000 donation from the Tour.  Founded in 2007, Returning Heroes Home, Inc. was created to raise funds and build the Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC) at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX.  The center provides a place of comfort and healing for the men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they receive care at Brooke Army Medical Center and rehabilitation at the renowned Center for the Intrepid.  The 12,000 foot facility features counseling rooms, kitchen facilities, a business center, game room and large social gathering area where Wounded Warriors and their families may share their stories and draw upon each other’s experiences as a source of strength and understanding during the healing process.

“Our mission at the Returning Heroes Home is to provide an environment for our wounded warriors and their families to reconnect their lives,” said Steve Huffman, President of Returning Heroes Home, Inc. “Ours is but a small deposit on the debt we owe these patriots. We thank the AT&T Championship and Champions Tour for this generous donation which will be used to further enhance our facilities for these noble men and women who have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedom.”

“The AT&T Championship salutes the honorable men and women of our Nation’s Armed Forces throughout the year and especially during tournament week,” said Colby Callaway, Tournament Director for the AT&T Championship, “To have one of our charitable recipients named as the Champions Tour’s 2009 Charity of the Year is both humbling and gratifying.”

Huffman said the organization plans to use the $30,000 donation to help build and finish Phase II of the Therapeutic and Recreational Garden, a sanctuary designed to facilitate both physical and emotional healing for wounded warriors and their families.  Among the wheelchair accessible amenities to be included in the garden are a small amphitheater for concerts, picnic tables and fitness trails for both the mobile and non-mobile soldiers.

“The Champions Tour has a history of giving back which is shared by our players, tournaments, sponsors and fans,” said Champions Tour President Mike Stevens.  “It’s fitting that in a week when we salute our Military Veterans  we can provide tangible support for such a deserving organization which assists our nation’s wounded military veterans and their families for the sacrifices they have made for our Country.”

The Charity of the Year nomination and selection process was conducted jointly by the Champions Tour and the CTTA.  Ron Keener of the Principal Charity Classic in West Des Moines, IA was named the 2009 Champions Tour Volunteer of the Year.

The 2010 AT&T Championship will be played October 25-31 at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, TX.  Phil Blackmar is defending champion.

See the video below to learn more about Returning Heroes Home. Click Here to visit there website.