Giving Back: Valero and Oil Marketers Association Raise Money for Charity

SAN ANTONIO and CHARLESTON, W.V. -- The Valero Texas Open, a golf tournament sponsored by Valero Energy Corp., raised a total of $7 million for charity, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

The money raised is the largest contribution for any tournament in the PGA Tour's history, the newspaper reported. This year, the company has set its fifth consecutive record for charitable contribution since it took over sponsorship. Last year, the tournament raised $5.35 million for charity.

"It's hard to believe how far we've come in so little time," Bill Greehey, Valero chairman told the San Antonio Business Journal. "This is the fifth year we've sponsored the tournament, and each and every year, we have increased the contribution by $1 million or more."

Golf San Antonio organizes the Valero Texas Open and raises money through Pro-Am events, the Birdies for Charity program and Chip in for Schools. Through Birdies for charity, nonprofit groups raise pledges for every birdie made during the tournament. Chip in for Schools allows local schools to sell discounted tickets for the tournament.

The Valero Texas Open, held Sept. 21 to the 24 at the Westin La Cantera Resort, is an official PGA tour event held in San Antonio that attracts 144 of the association's top players.

In other charity news, the West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association raised $175,249 for the Children’s Miracle Network. During the month-long event, members sold "Miracle" balloons to customers for $1 and matched the proceeds for the sale dollar-for-dollar.

Nine additional members donated a penny or more for every gallon of gas pumped at stations on Aug. 9. In addition, ExxonMobil Fuel Marketing sponsored a charity golf outing and made a donation to the fundraising drive.

"This donation will benefit kids of every age and background in West Virginia," said Cheryl Jones, administrator of West Virginia University’s Children's Hospital.

Executive director of the association, Jan Vineyard, thanked supporters of the drive and said "If it wasn't for their participation, we could not have been so successful."

The Children’s Miracle Network is a nonprofit alliance of 170 hospitals across the nation that provide care, research and support for children with diseases and injuries of all kinds.
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