"Holiday Hoops for Hope" Community Event to Benefit Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To fuel the spirit of BP's sponsorship of the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, Tampa-based BP Marketer, Automated Petroleum & Energy Company (APEC), has teamed up with Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay to help build awareness of the benefits of recreational and competitive sports for youth and adults with physical disabilities.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111128/CG12060)

Holiday Hoops for Hope is a free event, open to the public, and will take place during the Tampa Downtown Market on Friday, December 2, 2011. The event will provide an opportunity for area residents to learn how youth and adults with disabilities overcome physical challenges through recreational and competitive sports at Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay, a program of Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. Club members will be available to teach attendees about the unique skills it takes to perform various sports as an athlete with disabilities. Demonstrations will include wheelchair basketball and hand-cycling. 

Event attendees can contribute to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay during the event by shooting hoops that will in turn earn the club BP gasoline to help cover travel costs. For every basket made, $5 in BP gasoline (to the value of $1,000 of BP gasoline) will be donated to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay's traveling teams. The recreational and competitive traveling teams are a valuable part of the club's programming as it provides the opportunity for local athletes to travel for competition.   

Two-time Paralympian with the U.S. National Wheelchair Basketball Team and 2012 Paralympic Hopeful, Paul Schulte will be at the event to share his story about competing at an elite level and the importance of sport and physical activity.

"Our mission is to raise awareness of the benefits of Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay to children and adults with physical disabilities," said Andy Chasanoff, sports coordinator for Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay. We invite them to join their peers and discover a community that will help foster self-confidence and independence – sentiments that most people take for granted. This event also gives area residents the opportunity to try a variety of Paralympic sports for themselves and learn how our athletes not only conquer obstacles but have the strength to persevere each and every day."

Automated Petroleum & Energy (APEC), a BP Marketer that supplies 37 BP branded stations in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, will present a $10,000 grant donation to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay at the event. The donation is made possible through the BP Fueling Communities grant program, which will help fund the sport activities available at the club, such as wheelchair basketball, track and field, archery and swimming. In addition, BP will make a matching donation of $10,000 worth of adaptive sports equipment for the members of the club.

"BP's sponsorship of the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams inspired us to show our support and commitment to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay and help raise awareness about the opportunities available through the U.S. Paralympic Team," said Bill McKnight, president of APEC. "This donation is part of our commitment to make a positive impact in the community where we do business and take inspiration from Tampa athletes who have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds."

Tampa-area residents can participate in the fundraising effort by purchasing a Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay bracelet for $1 at participating BP sites in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties beginning November 25, 2011 through January 31, 2012. All of the proceeds will go to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay. BP Marketer APEC will match each donation with $1 of BP gasoline to help fund the club's fuel costs for travel to competitions, up to $5,000.

The BP Fueling Communities program provides grants to local organizations that are nominated by BP's Branded Marketers to support the communities in which they do business. Fueling Communities helps spread charity and goodwill by giving back to local organizations that support health, education, youth, food and housing. 

Holiday Hoops for Hope - Schedule of Events

December 2 at the Tampa Downtown Market, 600 block of Franklin Street between Twiggs and Zack, Tampa, Fla.:

• 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  Live sport demonstrations and wheelchair basketball shooting contests open to the public for a chance to earn Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay $5 worth of BP gasoline for each shot made, up to $1,000

• 12:00 p.m.
  Automated Petroleum & Energy Company and BP presents grant and equipment donation to Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay

• 12:15 p.m.
  Public meet and greet with Two-time Paralympian with the U.S. National Wheelchair Basketball Team and 2012 Paralympic Hopeful, Paul Schulte

About BP and Team USA

As an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee, BP is honored to be a supporter of Team USA. Consumers are encouraged to 'Like' the U.S. Paralympic Facebook page to meet the athletes, ask them questions, chat live and cheer them on to victory on their road to London in 2012, www.facebook.com/usparalympics.

BP markets more than 15 billion gallons of gasoline every year to U.S. consumers through more than 11,000 BP and ARCO branded retail outlets and supplies more than four billion gallons of fuel annually to fleets, industrial users, auto and truck manufacturers, railroads and utilities. 

BP is the single, global brand formed by the combination of the former British Petroleum, Amoco Corporation, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) and Burmah Castrol. BP is a global producer, manufacturer and marketer of oil, gas, chemicals and renewable energy sources. 

About Automated Petroleum & Energy Company

Automated Petroleum & Energy Company ("APEC") is a petroleum marketer engaged in the retail gasoline business throughout Central and South Florida.  APEC is a multi branded gas distributor and markets in excess of 165 million gallons of BP gasoline annually through 127 locally owned and operated BP sites.

About Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay

As a signature program of the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department, Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay provides year-round sports and recreation programs that promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and recreational and competitive sports opportunities for area children and adults with physical disabilities. This is one of more than 140 community based sports programs established by the Paralympic Division of the United States Olympic Committee.

Media Contacts:

BP Products North America: Scott Dean, 630/821-3212, [email protected]
GolinHarris: Ashley Lynn, 312/729-4269, [email protected]

SOURCE BP