CITGO Honors Community Partners at Annual Appreciation Luncheon

HOUSTON, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation recently hosted its Community Partners Appreciation Luncheon, an annual holiday gathering to celebrate the spirit of giving and acknowledge Houston-based community partners that have made a positive difference in 2018. Attendees from the business, non-profit and government worlds came together on November 29 at the Julia Ideson Library in Houston. The celebration served as an opportunity for CITGO to show its gratitude and appreciation for the people and organizations that make Houston such a great place to live and work, and particularly highlight the heroic efforts made by the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. 

"2018 has been a year of recovery, of getting back on our feet and lifting Houston from literally being underwater after Harvey into the thriving city we all know and love," said CITGO Executive Vice President Frank Gygax. "A year later the scar remains, but more importantly, so do the lessons we've learned, the strength we've gained, and the resourcefulness we've employed to turn calamity into resilience. Just like our Bayou city, we turned challenges into opportunities by remaining focused on what we do best: safe, efficient operations in conjunction with our steadfast community involvement; a combination we call Fueling Good."

Following Gygax's remarks, three organizations were honored for their contributions in 2018. The Rose, Houston Botanical Garden and the Catholic Charities St. Frances Center for Immigration Legal Assistance, were each given an award. During the ceremony, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also attended to congratulate the winners.

"CITGO is passionate about fueling good in our communities, so we collaborate with organizations that support a wide range of programs and initiatives," said Larry Elizondo, general manager community relations, corporate social responsibility & legislative affairs at CITGO. "Even though Thanksgiving has passed, today is all about gratitude – we simply want to thank our community partners for all they do to make Houston the best place to live and work."

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 sixth-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 5,200 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation 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.

SOURCE CITGO