CITGO Supports Corpus Christi Students With School Supplies at 5th Annual Abel Herrero School Supply Giveaway

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, October 18, 2017 /3BL Media/ – South Texas students had the opportunity to start the school year off right this fall with help of the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery. TeamCITGO volunteers packed and distributed 200 backpacks filled with school supplies at Robstown High School as part of the 5th Annual Abel Herrero School Supply Giveaway. 

“We wanted to give students the opportunity to succeed in academics, and school supplies are a vital link to success in the classroom,” said Rep. Herrero, who represents House District 34 in the Texas House of Representatives. “We set a goal to reach at least 1,000 students in the community, and we are fortunate to have Corpus Christi institutions like CITGO that show great commitment to our area youth.” 

The Giveaway is hosted by Texas State Representative Abel Herrero and CITGO has partnered with the program since its inception in 2013. This year, CITGO volunteers stuffed each backpack with a glue stick, a #2 pencil, colored pencils, an eraser, a notebook, a pocket folder, a ruler, and scissors. Backpacks were distributed to students who visited the giveaway on a first-come, first-served basis.

“At CITGO, we are committed to education, and helping students reach their potential,” said Alirio Zambrano, Vice President and General Manager, CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery. “The Abel Herrero School Supply Drive is a perfect fit for CITGO. Employees donate supplies, pack the backpacks, and help give away the supplies. It’s one way we can fuel education in our community.”

CITGO is committed to helping students achieve academic success as well as supporting students and teachers throughout the Corpus Christi area. CITGO also continues its commitment to the CITGO Innovation Academy for Engineering, Environmental & Marine Science at Foy H. Moody High School in Corpus Christi, one of the highest-ranked schools in the country for STEM courses, giving students access to field trips, academic competitions and conferences, and educational technology and supplies. CITGO also sponsors the Caller-Times/CITGO South Texas Distinguished Scholars, awarding scholarships to students who excel in categories such as Achiever, Communications, Science, Service & Leadership, and Technology.
 
About CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery
The CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery, which celebrated 80 years of operations in 2015, provides more than 1,000 jobs locally, while generating more than $345 million per year in support of the local economy through salaries, services and taxes. In addition to producing high-quality fuels for its network of nearly 5,500 independently owned and operated CITGO branded stations across the country, Corpus Christi refinery employees make a major positive impact on the community. In 2016 alone, CITGO employees in Corpus Christi volunteered more than 1,800 hours of their personal time to local and national charities. Since 2013, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery and its employees have provided more than 11,000 volunteer hours and approximately $3.3 million in support of community organizations such as United Way, Charlie's Place, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Miracle League, Catholic Charities, the Special Olympics and a variety of environmental and preservation initiatives, such as the revitalization of the Gateway to Corpus Christi, Hans and Pat Suter Park and Adopt-A-Beach Clean Up. For more information on the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery, visit www.citgorefining.com/corpus-christi.

About CITGO 
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.