Business Leader Joins Elite List; Peter Holt to be Honored at Dinner of Champions.

Sports/Health/Medical Writers & Lifestyle Editors

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2001

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) has announced that it will honor San Antonio Spurs Chairman and Owner Peter Holt at its First Annual Dinner of Champions on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2001. Holt will be presented the Hope Award in recognition of his unwavering support of the NMSS. Serving as dinner chairs of the event will be Tammy and Russ Bookbinder, executive vice president of the San Antonio Spurs. The black tie event will be held at 7 p.m. at The Westin -- La Cantera Resort. A "who's who" list of San Antonio business, political and social leaders are expected to attend. Funds raised will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society -- Lone Star Chapter.

Since its inception on a national level 27 years ago, the Dinner of Champions has raised more than $100 million for client programs, MS-related research and individuals living with MS. The honor represents the highest bestowed on an individual by the NMMS Society. Today, 70 major cities, from New York to Los Angeles and Chicago to Houston, honor prominent leaders and top executives on an annual basis. Past honorees include John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems Inc.; Peter Coors, CEO of Coors Brewing Company; Arthur Martinez, CEO of Sears and Roebuck; D. Mark Prestige, president of Tom Thumb; Jeffrey K. Skilling, president and CEO of Enron; Ron W. Haddock, president and CEO of FINA; and Tom Sherak, CEO of Twentieth Century Fox. Cumulatively, these honorees represent the most influential cast of corporate, political and entertainment leaders in the world.

Peter Holt is a shining example of this award and is no stranger to the fast track of global business. He is a strong proponent of leading by example through his value-based management philosophy. Since becoming the chairman of the board of the San Antonio Spurs in 1996, he has led the team in fund-raising and community outreach programs that range from the United Way to efforts with the Fannie Mae Foundation and the Spurs Drug Free League, which provides a safe place for grade school children to play basketball after school.

Holt serves as chairman of the San Antonio Spurs and president and CEO of the San Antonio-based Holt Companies. The Holt Companies got its start in 1933 when Holt's great uncle moved to San Antonio and opened a Caterpillar dealership. When the dealership's territory expanded and other dealerships opened, family members got involved in the business.

Today, Holt Companies includes Holt Machinery Company, which includes the original Caterpillar dealership, and the San Antonio Spurs. "Working with volunteers on a community project, with the Spurs players and staff or with the Holt Companies, it's always the same," Holt said. "Treat people fairly and honestly, and the amount you can accomplish with others is far greater than anything you can do by yourself."

Holt's sentiments are illustrated not only in his involvement with the MS Society, but also in his long-standing commitment to community service. He is a member of the World Presidents' Organization, sits on the board of the San Antonio Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County and is a trustee of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program. A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Holt ended his two years of service as a Sergeant E5 with a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

The black tie, seated dinner, to be held at The Westin -- La Cantera Resort, is expected to raise several hundred thousand dollars for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Lone Star Chapter. Multiple Sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system, affects an estimated one third of a million Americans.

The NMSS, established in 1946, is the world's largest source of MS-related funds, with the exception of the U.S. Government. The Dinner of Champions enables the NMSS to continue its work in providing support services for people with MS and their families, as well as funding research into the cause and cure of this disease. The NMSS spends a larger percentage of revenue on direct services than any other voluntary health organization primarily serving adults. Close to home, the Lone Star Chapter serves more than 1,200 people in San Antonio area.