BALTIMORE – Oct. 5, 2015 –  In its commitment to fuel good in the community, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and its local branded Marketers Griffith Energy Services, Inc., Carroll Independent Fuel Company, and The Wills Group, recently donated $15,000 in CITGO Gift Cards to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and announced the “Be A Star, Buy A Star” community fundraising campaign to further benefit the hospital.  The gift cards were presented to Paula Heneberry, LCSW-C, Director of Pediatric Social Work at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and will be given to families whose children are being treated at the facility to assist them with travel costs to and from the hospital.

“A roadtrip for our families can take many forms – a celebratory vacation trip upon being discharged from our services, but more often the roadtrip entails a journey here to receive care,” said Paula Heneberry, Director of Pediatric Social Work at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. “The cost of gas and other travel expenses creates a heavy burden on many of our families, and we are forever grateful for the contribution, excitement and fun the Fueling Good Road Trip brought that will allow us to help alleviate the stress on these families and let them focus on the health of their child(ren).” 

Fueling Good ambassadors Adam and Diego, along with Miss Maryland Destiny Clark, attended the presentation to visit with patients and participate in the afternoon BINGO session by announcing the winning calls and handing out prizes, including Fueling Good toy trucks donated by CITGO, to the children. 

“We’re proud to join our local Marketers in supporting the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and fueling good in the Baltimore community overall,” said Alan Flagg, CITGO Assistant Vice President of Supply and Marketing. “By giving these gift cards, our hope is to relieve families of the burden of travel costs, even in a small way, so that they can focus on getting their children the care and treatment that they need.” 

Griffith Energy Services, Inc. has been a staple in the Baltimore community for more than 100 years, and for the past 20 years has raised more than $1 million for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center through its annual golf tournament. In addition, to honor Dr. George Dover, who is stepping down after serving as Pediatrician-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for 20 years, Griffith Energy Services, Inc. is commissioning a portrait to commemorate his legacy. In following the Johns Hopkins Medicine tradition of celebrating the work of esteemed leadership through art, the final piece will be displayed in the hospital.

Also serving the Baltimore community for more than 100 years is Carroll Independent Fuel Company which hosts an annual golf tournament benefiting the Children’s Center. Since inception, the event has raised approximately $200,000.

Fueling good beyond the donation event, Miss Maryland will visit patients and families at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center throughout the rest of the year through the support of The Wills Group, who for more than 80 years has been serving the community as one of Maryland’s largest, locally run and family owned businesses of its kind.

And finally, as part of its continued support CITGO also announced the launch of its “Be A Star, Buy A Star” community fundraising campaign, which will be held in participating CITGO locations across the Baltimore area from Oct. 25 through Dec. 1, 2015. All proceeds from the purchase of “stars” will be donated to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. 

To learn more about the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and how you can get involved, visit www.hopkinschildrens.org. For more about how CITGO is fueling good in the community, visit www.fuelinggood.com. 
 
About the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center  
Founded in 1912 as the children's hospital at Johns Hopkins, the Johns Hopkins Children's Center offers one of the most comprehensive pediatric medical programs in the country, with more than 92,000 patient visits and nearly 9,000 admissions each year. The Johns Hopkins Children's Center is Maryland's largest children's hospital and the only state-designated Trauma Service and Burn Unit for pediatric patients. It has recognized Centers of Excellence in dozens of pediatric subspecialties, including allergy, cardiology, cystic fibrosis, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, pulmonary, and transplant. For more information, visit www.hopkinschildren.org. 

About CITGO 
CITGO is committed to giving back to the local communities it serves through its network of locally owned CITGO locations. CITGO Marketers and Retailers in Maryland own and operate more than 100 CITGO locations and are proud to support their communities and organizations such as the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. For more information on the positive impact of the locally owned CITGO stations, visit www.fuelinggood.com. 
 
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.