Local CITGO® Lubricants Plant Helps Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Celebrate Earth Day

CICERO, Ill., April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Employees at the CITGO lubricants blending plant in Cicero volunteered their time on Earth Day to help beautify the local Ronald McDonald House^® near Advocate Hope Children's Hospital. On April 22, 38 CITGO volunteers excavated stones, added soil and planted grasses and other plants to refresh the grounds of the House.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120427/PH92805 )

"Every year our employees participate in a spring charity event. This year we chose the local Ronald McDonald House because we know the important role it plays for families whose children are being treated at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital," said Chuck Stark, manager of the CITGO plant in Cicero. "We are honored to celebrate the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI) by making the 'House in the woods' even more of a 'home away from home.' We hope that our work here makes a family's stay a little brighter."

The Ronald McDonald House near Advocate Hope Children's Hospital has been a pillar of strength in the Oak Lawn community since it opened its doors in 2008, welcoming more than 600 families, serving more than 850 meals and providing more than 30,000 volunteer hours. With the help of local supporters, like the volunteers from CITGO, RMHC-CNI hopes to increase its reach and impact within the community.

"We are so grateful for the hard work of the CITGO lubricants plant volunteers," said Kelly Evans, house director of Ronald McDonald House near Advocate Hope Children's Hospital. "Their generous donation of time and labor, along with the Arbor Day Foundation's contribution of grass and shrubbery, made this Earth Day very special. Thanks to these organizations, our House will be even more welcoming to the families staying with us while their child is in the hospital."

The CITGO lubricants plant in Cicero has been a part of the community for 62 years, providing local jobs and supporting charities in the area, including RMHC-CNI. The plant blends and packages more than 50 million gallons of finished lubricants and greases that provide products to the automotive, heavy-duty, transportation, industrial, small engine and agricultural markets each year.

The spirit of giving back to the community and helping others can be seen in all aspects of the CITGO brand and are aligned with the social development principles of the CITGO shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

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 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.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI):  The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI) is to improve the health, well-being and education of children through four core programs:

• Four Ronald McDonald Houses provide a "home away from home" to keep families close while their children are being treated at a nearby hospital.
• The Ronald McDonald Family Room provides hospitality in the heart of Edward Hospital.
• The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, in partnership with Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, provides essential health services to children in underserved areas.
• A scholarship program provides $4,000 a year in renewable scholarships to academically outstanding, community-minded and economically challenged young people.

For more information, visit www.RonaldHouseChicago.org.

CITGO is a registered trademark of CITGO Petroleum Corporation.

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum