HOUSTON – (Mar. 30, 2010) – Texas Children’s Hospital and Great Southwest Equestrian Center recently announced the dedication of the Texas Children’s Hospital Arena Club, the newly renovated reception room at the center. A luncheon reception and dedication was held on March 25th to announce this new community partnership and over 100 local business representatives, equestrians and members of the community were in attendance.

The new partnership coincides with the development of Texas Children’s first pediatric community hospital that will serve the greater West Houston area from Sugar Land to Bryan - College Station. Currently under construction, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus will be a major presence in West Houston with 55 acres of land at Barker Cypress Rd. and Interstate 10. The campus will include:

• A 221,000-square-foot outpatient facility scheduled for completion in late 2010
• A 294,000-square-foot inpatient facility scheduled for completion in spring 2011, featuring the David and Mary Wolff Emergency Center

Great Southwest Equestrian Center is committed to helping the hospital increase its presence in the area by connecting it to the local community and to the thousands of equestrians who frequent the center every week. Over 60 equestrian events were held at the center in 2009, bringing over 100,000 people to the area. Sean Brown, manager of Great Southwest Equestrian Center said, “We want people to be aware of the new hospital with the naming of our premier event room. In addition, our magazine, The Exhibitor, will feature Texas Children’s Hospital in every edition and the equestrian center will dedicate a November horse show to help raise funds for the new West Campus.”

“Designed, built, equipped and staffed exclusively for children, West Campus is Texas Children’s first community hospital and will allow us to provide more families in the Greater West Houston area with extended access to the same unsurpassed standard of care they have come to expect from the hospital’s main campus,” said Michelle Riley-Brown, vice president of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

The renovated Texas Children’s Hospital Arena Club will be available for community events, private parties and equestrian events at the facility. The publicity surrounding the Texas Children’s Arena Club will continue to highlight the new presence of the Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus in the area.

Great Southwest Equestrian Center draws people from around the country and the southwest, hosting events from every discipline including the National Reiner’s Breeders Classic and the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show. Over its 65-year history, the prestigious Pin Oak Charity Horse Show has raised $4.8 million for Texas Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, with almost $1 million raised in the last decade.

About Great Southwest Equestrian Center
Great Southwest Equestrian Center, located in Katy, TX is a state of the art horse show facility with 4 covered arenas and 3 all weather outdoor arenas, one with OTTO Sport Footing, the official footing for the Would Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. The facility has stalls for up to 1,000 horses and seating for over 4,000 in the main show complex. For more information, visit www.gsewc.com.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top 10 best children’s hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s largest primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a neurological research institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on high risk births, and a community hospital in suburban West Houston. Get the latest Texas Children’s news on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tch_news