LAKE CHARLES, La., April 16, 2026 – Local school campuses were filled with smiles and stories this week as the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery brought Bess the Book Bus to Southwest Louisiana, promoting reading and book ownership among young students.
The mobile literacy program made stops at John J. Johnson Elementary, E. K. Key Elementary, Brenda Hunter Head Start and Henry Heights Elementary, where pre-K through first-grade students gathered for an engaging read-aloud story designed to spark imagination and excitement about reading. With help from CITGO volunteers, nearly 700 children visited the brightly colored book bus to explore a wide range of books and choose one that sparked their interest.
E. K. Key Elementary School Principal, Chad Theunissen said, “We are so grateful to CITGO and Bess the Book Bus for bringing this experience to our students at E. K. Key Elementary. There is nothing better than seeing the excitement on our students’ faces as they choose a book of their own and see themselves as readers. Moments like this help us continue building a strong culture of literacy across our campus while keeping the joy of reading at the center of what we do. Thank you again to CITGO and Bess the Book Bus for making a lasting impact on our students.”
“Helping children develop a love for reading at an early age can make a lasting difference,” said Sterling Neblett, vice president and general manager of the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery. “This marks our 18th year of bringing Bess the Book Bus to our community and reflects our continued commitment to supporting early literacy through meaningful, hands-on experiences.”
Founded in 2002 by Jennifer Frances, Bess the Book Bus is based in Tampa, Florida, and works to make book ownership possible for underserved children nationwide. With support from partners like CITGO, the program distributed more than 60,000 books across 19 states last year.
CITGO also supports education in Calcasieu Parish through initiatives such as the CITGO Innovation Academies, which provide STEM-focused learning opportunities at E. K. Key Elementary, LeBlanc Middle School and Sulphur High School. A participant in the Calcasieu Parish School Board’s Partners in Education Program since 1988, CITGO currently supports four local schools, including Sulphur High School and Ninth Grade Campus, the Calcasieu Parish Alternative Sites and E. K. Key Elementary.