CITGO and Garrow Oil Sponsor Toast to Life Gala to Benefit ALS Research

APPLETON, Wis., Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Oct. 23, local CITGO Marketer Garrow Oil Corporation and CITGO Petroleum Corporation sponsored the inaugural Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Toast to Life Gala to honor Jane Vanden Heuvel of Little Chute, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, and other ALS families in the community. More than 170 guests, including local news anchor Bill Jartz, joined together to raise $40,000 to fund ALS research.

"We are overwhelmed by the support from the community for our first Toast to Life Gala," said Luke Garrow, owner of Garrow Oil. "We are proud to honor Jane and her family and help spread awareness of the MDA mission. We have sponsored MDA events for many years and it is so encouraging to see the success of each of these fundraisers as we do our part to help find a cure for these neuromuscular illnesses."

The gala was held at the Timber Rattlers Banquet Venue at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, where guests enjoyed beverage tastings and live and silent auctions featuring concert tickets, fitness packages, sports memorabilia, vacation packages and more. In addition, WBAY anchor Bill Jartz hosted the Research Appeal live auction where guests purchased "minutes" of ALS research.

"These events are vital in raising money for research," said Alan Flagg, assistant vice president of supply and marketing with CITGO. "We're committed to spending our time and funds for such a worthy cause, and we thank our local Marketers and the communities for planning and supporting these MDA events year after year."

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat muscular dystrophy through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education. CITGO is the largest corporate sponsor for MDA, raising more than $170 million over the past 28 years through its network of independent Marketers, employees and corporate contributions.

CITGO is committed to giving back to the local communities it serves through its network of locally owned locations. CITGO Marketers and Retailers in Wisconsin, like Garrow Oil Corporation, own and operate nearly 275 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 PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141119/159638

SOURCE CITGO

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