CITGO Fuels Programs Supporting Children’s Literacy, Exercise and Nutrition in Nashville
Miss Tennessee Hayley Lewis joins CITGO to show support for local good works programs
NASHVILLE, June 16, 2015 /3BL Media/ – CITGO Petroleum Corporation demonstrated its dedication to Nashville area children in May with visits to several local charities and schools. With help from Miss Tennessee Hayley Lewis, CITGO showed its support for the Whole Life Market and Backpack Program, the Central Tennessee Soccer League and two area elementary schools.
The Whole Life Market and Backpack Program were founded to provide no cost food for weekend meals to families at risk of hunger. The Backpack Program supplies backpacks to approximately 100 students every Friday during the school year and these packs are filled with breakfast and lunch items to help get the students through the weekend.
The Central Tennessee Soccer League has served the Nashville community for more than 20 years. Self-funded with assistance from sponsors like CITGO, the organization provides a place for community children to learn and experience the game of soccer. The league plays for two seasons in the spring and fall with more than 400 players ranging in age from 4 to 18 years old.
Accompanied by CITGO Nashville Terminal Manager Mark Reddit, Lewis presented CITGO gift cards to the Whole Life Market and Backpack Program and Central Tennessee Soccer League on May 14. Additionally, Lewis read to students at Stoner Creek Elementary School in Mt. Juliet with along with representatives from Bess the Book Bus, a mobile children’s literacy program also supported by CITGO.
Bess the Book Bus and its founder Jennifer Francis visited Napier Elementary School to read to students and share new books with them. Fulfilling the mission to expand literacy across the United States, Frances drives a specially designed “book bus” fueled by CITGO gasoline and visits underprivileged communities to share a love of reading with students and provide them with free books to enjoy. At the conclusion of each event, each student received their own book to take home.
The month of charitable efforts came together thanks to the dedication and coordination of Reddit, who received the support of CITGO leadership to allocate funds for these area causes and to encourage his colleagues to join him in volunteer efforts throughout Tennessee. Leaders like Reddit are fueling good in their communities every day through their commitment to programs that meet their areas’ unique needs.
About CITGO
CITGO is committed to giving back to the local communities it serves through its network of locally owned locations. CITGO Marketers and Retailers in Tennessee own and operate more than 170 CITGO locations and are proud to support their communities. 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.
About Bess the Book Bus
Bess the Book Bus is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to extending literacy across the country. Run by Jennifer Frances of Tampa, Florida, the organization visits local communities in a specially designed "book bus," coordinating reading events and providing children with free, new books for them to keep. For more information, visit www.bessthebookbus.org.
