CITGO partners recently sponsored a gala in honor of local resident Jane Vanden Heuvel, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011.
CITGO Marketer Garrow Oil Corp. and CITGO Petroleum Corp. recently sponsored the inaugural Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Toast to Life Gala, raising $40,000 to fund ALS research.
The event honored Jane Vanden Heuvel of Little Chute, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, and other ALS families in the community. More than 170 guests, including local news anchor Bill Jartz, attended the fundraiser.
“We are overwhelmed by the support from the community for our first Toast to Life Gala,” said Luke Garrow, owner of Garrow Oil. “We are proud to honor Jane and her family and help spread awareness of the MDA mission. We have sponsored MDA events for many years and it is so encouraging to see the success of each of these fundraisers as we do our part to help find a cure for these neuromuscular illnesses.”
The gala was held at the Timber Rattlers Banquet Venue at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, where guests enjoyed beverage tastings and live and silent auctions featuring concert tickets, fitness packages, sports memorabilia, vacation packages and more. In addition, WBAY anchor Bill Jartz hosted the Research Appeal live auction where guests purchased “minutes” of ALS research.
“These events are vital in raising money for research,” said Alan Flagg, assistant vice president of supply and marketing with CITGO. “We’re committed to spending our time and funds for such a worthy cause, and we thank our local Marketers and the communities for planning and supporting these MDA events year after year.”
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat muscular dystrophy through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education. CITGO is the largest corporate sponsor for MDA, raising more than $170 million over the past 28 years through its network of independent Marketers, employees and corporate contributions.