Mid-State Petroleum and CITGO Partner to Support Emily's Kids Foundation

HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Local CITGO Marketer Mid-State Petroleum and CITGO Petroleum Corporation donated $1,250 in CITGO Gift Cards for use as raffle prizes during the 4th Annual Emily's Kids Foundation charity motorcycle ride on Sept. 7, 2014. The ride raised nearly $4,000 for Emily's Kids Foundation and will be used to provide gas cards, parking passes and meals to the families of pediatric cancer patients in North Carolina.

"I'm constantly amazed by the outpouring of generosity for our events," said Craig Field, founder of Emily's Kids Foundation. "Mid-State and CITGO have been great supporters. When I started the foundation, a lot of my time and energy went into asking individual stations for gift cards. When Tony at Mid-State found out about the Emily's Kids and our needs, he connected me directly with CITGO and both have been extremely supportive and generous."

"At CITGO we believe in supporting our local communities," said Alan Flagg, assistant vice president of supply and marketing for CITGO. "It's especially gratifying when our Marketers and their customers are actively committed to raising funds and awareness for vital organizations like Emily's Kids and the essential services it provides."

The idea for Emily's Kids Foundation started with Emily Field, Craig's daughter. In January of 2008, at the age of only 17, she was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. During long hospital stays, Emily noticed financial restraints could prevent families from visiting their sick children. She often received gift cards herself and offered to give them to other patients and their families. Emily passed away in November of 2008 and in 2009 her parents and a group of volunteers formally founded Emily's Kids Foundation to carry on Emily's desire to support families in need. Since its inception, the entirely volunteer run foundation has donated more than $170,000 worth of gas cards, parking passes and meals.

"From the moment I heard about Emily's Kids Foundation it has been near to my heart," said Mid-State Petroleum President Tony Perez. "It has been an honor to support an organization with such a noble goal and to partner with such amazing people – from the volunteers who run the foundation to the incredible benefactors. With the help of CITGO, we were able to donate fifty gift cards as raffle prizes for participants this year. However, the importance of helping the families in need runs so deep within this community that almost all of the raffle winners donated their prizes directly back to the foundation."

Founded in 1962, Mid-State Petroleum is a privately owned provider of competitively priced wholesale petroleum products to several hundred independent dealers and commercial end users. Additionally, Mid-State provides petroleum products from a range of unbranded independent suppliers. With many years of experience operating a chain of convenience stores, our employees assist customers in all areas of the industry. Mid-State is proud to support Emily's Kids Foundation any many other charitable causes, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

CITGO is committed to giving back to the local communities it serves through its network of nearly 6,000 locally owned CITGO locations. Local CITGO Marketers and Retailers, such as Mid-State Petroleum, own and operate more than 450 locations across North Carolina and are proud to support their neighborhoods through organizations such as Emily's Kids Foundation.

Based in Houston, CITGO 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.

SOURCE CITGO