Lemont, Ill.—April 24, 2019— Volunteers from the CITGO Lemont Refinery braved the weather to raise support for Special Olympics Illinois athletes on March 9 at the 2019 Polar Plunge and Donut Dash 5K. The event took place at Lake Leisure in Joliet, Ill.
Joining more than 560 participants, TeamCITGO volunteers raised $1,500 for Special Olympics by jumping into the frigid Lake and running in the Donut Dash 5K event. In addition, as a Gold Sponsor of the event, CITGO provided a commemorative Special Olympics/CITGO beach towel for participants and their families.
“This year’s Plunge and Donut Dash 5K was our largest yet, and we were excited to have CITGO be a part if it! The support of CITGO helps us continue to provide free year-round sports and athletic competition training to the more than 22,000 Special Olympics athletes in Illinois,” said Assistant Director, Special Olympics Illinois – Region E, Patty Welsh.
As a longtime partner of the Special Olympics, CITGO also served as a sponsor for the 2018 Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebration in Chicago, and employees regularly volunteer as coaches, trainers, and event assistants.
“CITGO and Special Olympics share the common value of teamwork, which is why supporting these athletes is so important to us,” said CITGO Lemont Vice President and General Manager Dennis Willig. “By participating in sports, people with intellectual disabilities are discovering new strengths and inspiring others.”
About the CITGO Lemont Refinery
For more than 90 years, CITGO Lemont Refinery has employed more than 750 Chicago area residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy. In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of approximately 5,000 independently and locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont Refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs. Operations at the Lemont Refinery began in 1925 with a major expansion, doubling the facility in 1933. Over the years, new units were added to meet the demand for a better quality of gas for automobiles, aviation fuel for WWII, and the production of asphalt.
About CITGO
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 749,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 5,000 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com