BP Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of The BP Community Scholarship Program

CHICAGO, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past 25 years, New York and New Jersey area BP station owners have provided over $2.5 million in scholarships to more than 1,700 promising students. This year, 185 local BP station owners will present a BP Fueling Communities grant donation of $100,000 that will provide 50 students with college scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic school year.

"The BP Community Scholarship Program has made a real difference in my life. Ten years ago I was a proud scholarship recipient, which gave me the opportunity to go to Georgetown University, graduate with a degree in English, work in the public relations and legal profession and pursue a graduate degree from Harvard University," said Nicholas Mosca, 2002 – 2005 BP Community Scholarship recipient. "I remain humbled knowing that my education was made possible by local BP station owners and it's heartwarming to know they continue to invest in the education of high school seniors that might not have had the financial resources to attend college."

Each 2012 scholarship recipient will receive $2,000 to be applied toward educational expenses for the upcoming academic year.  Judges selected a diverse group of 50 New York and New Jersey students to receive scholarships based on personal statements, academic performance, extracurricular activities, work experience, individual goals and demonstrated financial need.

"On behalf of the local area BP station owners, we are honored to fuel the future of students in our community and help make their dreams come true," said Turgay Kadioglu, BP gas station owner in Woodside, N.Y.  "For 25 years, local BP owners have been dedicated to investing in this great program to improve the future of our community's youth in the neighborhoods where we do business."

A reception recognizing the scholarship recipients will be held on Monday, June 25, at the Caesars Club of Citi Field, home baseball park of the New York Mets. Laura Wilkinson, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist in women's platform diving, will be the keynote speaker at the reception. Laura is also the co-founder of the Laura Wilkinson Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspire the development of diving for young athletes to represent their community and country by providing advanced diving facilities and related programs.

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.  The program gives back to local organizations that support education, youth, health, food and housing to spread charity and goodwill.

About BP
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.

Media Contacts:
BP Products North America: Scott Dean, 630/821-3212, [email protected]
GolinHarris: Brett Weliever, 312/729-4278, [email protected]

SOURCE BP