CITGO's Spirit Pumps Raise $30,000 for Charities

HOUSTON — CITGO Petroleum Corp. got into the giving spirit in 2016, raising $30,000 through its Spirit Pumps campaign.

At participating CITGO stations across the United States, specially branded fuel pumps were operational at different times throughout the year to raise money for a variety of education, charitable and community service programs.  

Upon installation, the CITGO stations identified local organizations to partner with. From there, a certain percentage of sales from the designated fuel pumps was donated by the station directly to those local organizations. At the conclusion of each Spirit Pump, an additional monetary match to each organization was donated by CITGO.

Just some of the organizations that benefited from the 2016 Spirit Pumps include:

• New Market Elementary School – Sophia, N.C.
• Little Orleans Fire Department – Little Orleans, Md.
• Astor Services for Children & Families – Rhinebeck, N.Y.
• Elsanor Elementary School – Robertsdale, Ala.
• Craig County Public Schools – New Castle, Va.
• Russellville Girls High School Softball Team – Russellville, Ala.
• Edward A. Upthegrove and LaBelle Elementary School – LaBelle, Fla.

Spirit Pump also hit a homerun in 2016 with the Boston Red Sox. From July through October, CITGO teamed up with its local New England partners to install Red Sox-branded pumps at 23 locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. When customers visited these unique gas pumps, a portion of their purchases was donated to the Red Sox Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds via special events, corporate sponsorships and grants, as CSNews Online previously reported.  

"The CITGO Spirit Pump initiative is an effective way for customers and community members alike to easily contribute to local causes and organizations in their backyards by simply heading to the fuel pump," said Alan Flagg, CITGO assistant vice president of supply and marketing. "CITGO stations will continue installing Spirit Pumps during 2017 to make even more of an impact in communities throughout the CITGO footprint." 

Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Corp. 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.