CITGO Lemont Refinery Holds Annual Bowl-a-thon to Benefit Muscular Dystrophy Association

LEMONT, Ill., April 26, 2016 /3BL Media/– The CITGO Lemont Refinery recently held their annual bowl-a-thon at Bowlero in Romeoville to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), and to raise awareness, support and services for Illinois families living with this disease. 
 
On March 16, this year’s shamrock themed event brought together a total of 46 local businesses, raising over $77,000 for the organization. The Shamrock Bowl is just one of the annual fundraisers held by the CITGO Lemont Refinery in support of MDA life-saving research and social services. In addition to the bowl-a-thon, the Refinery also plans a golf outing, supports the Chicago Muscle Team and organizes a “Fill the Boot” day with local firefighters.
 
Alongside Ryan Karlin, the MDA Illinois State Goodwill Ambassador, Michael and Nicky Piunti, volunteered as contest judges—selecting the best team theme and team name. According to Michael, he enjoys attending each year because it gives him a chance to personally thank people for their generosity. In fact, Michael and Nicky have been volunteering since the inception of the event. A portion of the dollars raised from the bowl-a-thon goes to support the local MDA Summer Camp, located in Hudson, Ill. 
 
“Camp is the best week of the year! Not only is it fun, but I get to try new things that I thought I could never do,” said Michael Piunti.   
 
In fact, Michael and Nicky’s mom, Michelle, attributes the boys' time at camp as the catalyst that prepared them to attend the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in the fall. With the help of a personal assistant, the Piunti brothers will live independently while attending the university as a part of the Beckwith Residential Support Services program.
 
As the MDA’s largest corporate sponsor, CITGO has raised nearly $200 million since 1986 to help provide health care services and support for MDA families nationwide.

About the CITGO Lemont Refinery
For over 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 nearly 5,500 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. Petróleos de Venezuela, PDVSA, acquired 100% ownership of the refinery in 1997 and began operations as CITGO Lemont Refinery. For more information, visit www.citgorefining.com/Lemont.

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/.