BP Recognized for Commitment to Paralympics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) honored BP plc with its Paralympic Amazing Impact Award, which recognizes organizations that raise awareness and support for the U.S. Paralympic Movement.

BP received the award at the Paralympic Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. The annual event draws more than 300 community, government and military leaders, and focuses on expanding the availability of sports programming by coordinating efforts of those organizations involved with the Paralympic Movement, as well as those who want to start a new Paralympic Sports Club (PSC).

In 2011, BP extended its support of the USOC and Team USA through the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The company has placed a special focus on supporting the USOC's Paralympic community.

"The 2013 winners of our Paralympic Amazing Awards are delivering in the areas of grassroots development, elite high performance, sponsorship and philanthropy and telling the Paralympic story," said USOC Chief of Paralympics Charlie Huebner. "BP is making a significant impact on the delivery of high-quality programming to persons with physical disabilities throughout the United States."

In order to raise awareness of the Paralympic Movement, BP and its branded marketers support local PSCs through its Fueling Communities program. Through this program, BP retailers have brought Paralympic sports demonstrations to local community events and festivals, raised funds throughout their network of retail outlets and supported the USOC's efforts to build Paralympic programming at a local level.

BP and its branded marketers provide different types of support to strengthen each PSC relationship. Examples include:

• More than $400,000 in funds and equipment to 23 PSCs around the country.
   
• BP's sponsorship of the Paralympic portion of the USOC's Road to London Tour, an interactive sporting event where fans experienced the challenge of shooting a basketball while navigating a basketball court in a wheelchair. The tour went to more than 20 locations across the United States and had more than 5 million attendees.
   
• BP's third year as an associate sponsor of the Military Paralympic Games, also known as the Warrior Games.

Ray Martin, a four-time gold medalist in track and field at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, is an athlete who has directly benefited from BP's support of the Paralympic sports community.

"Paralympic Sport Club members and aspiring athletes alike are grateful to BP, which is dedicated to help elevate the Paralympic movement," said Martin, a member of the North Jersey Navigators PSC. "The Paralympic Sport Club has not only given me the opportunity to compete at an elite level, but has provided me with great support and a sense of community."