Valero St. Charles Refinery donates $600,000 to local children’s charities

Local children’s charities received a total of $600,000 on Oct. 18 from employees and business partners of the Valero St. Charles Refinery, who helped raise the funds through sponsorship of the 2012 Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children Golf Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

“This is just one of several Valero locations that will proudly distribute funds to children’s charities throughout North America this year. These gifts enable our community agencies to continue their good work for the many children they serve,” said Ralph Phillip, vice president and general manager of Valero St. Charles Refinery. “We appreciate all that these agencies do to improve children’s lives. With an uncertain economy and continued financial pressure around our nation, it gives us great joy to support the children of Louisiana once again.”

Thanks to the generosity of Valero’s business partners and sponsors, the Valero Texas Open remains one of the most charitable tournaments on the PGA TOUR. This year nationwide, Valero will distribute a record $9 million to children’s charities in the areas where it does business. Agencies selected to receive Benefit for Children dollars each year are nominated and selected by Valero employees.

The checks presented on Oct. 18, ranging in amounts from $10,000 to $100,000 will further the terrific work being done by agencies with a proven track record for children.

The 2012 Valero Benefit for Children local recipients, in no particular order, are:

• Children’s Hospital

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• Child Advocacy Services

• Boys Town Louisiana

• CureSearch for Children’s Cancer Foundation

• Greater New Orleans Therapeutic Riding Center

• Covenant House New Orleans

• St. Michael Special School

• New Orleans Children’s Health Project
(Tulane Educational Fund)

• Muscular Dystrophy Association

• March of Dimes Foundation

• Second Harvest Food Bank

• Camp Challenge

• Louisiana Pediatric Cardiology Foundation

• Louisiana Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis

• Louisiana Hemophilia Foundation

• Louisiana Lions League for Crippled Children

• Braveheart for Children

• Raintree Services, Inc.

• St. Mary’s Residential Training School

• Youth Empowerment Project

• St. John the Baptist Public School District Adapted Physical Education Department

• The Sunshine Kids Foundation

• Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge

• American Heart Association

• Special Olympics

• Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans

• Creative Family Solutions (formerly The Center for Family and Youth Services)

• Jerusalem Shriners Hospital Patient Transportation Fund

Helping Kids

• Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for GNO

• Unlocking Autism

• Down Syndrome Awareness Group

• TARC

• Troop C Grant A Wish

• Blessed to be a Blessing International Ministries, Inc.

“Once again, the generosity of our sponsors and business partners has generated a record amount to be distributed to children’s charities in the areas where Valero does business,” said Mike Crownover, Valero senior vice president of Human Resources and 2012 Valero Texas Open Company Chair. “And of course, the tournament itself couldn’t take place without the efforts of the thousands of volunteers who devote their time to making sure everything goes as planned.”