MILKA DUNO “WEIGHS IN” FOR CITGO AND MDA
Racer Milka Duno attends Muscular Dystrophy Association Event
August 6, 2004 – Racer Milka Duno joined with her sponsor CITGO
for the “Weigh In for MDA” – a fundraiser to benefit
the Muscular Dystrophy Association – at the Charlotte Convention
Center in Charlotte, North Carolina a few weeks ago on Thursday, July
29, 2004.
The “Weigh In for MDA” event was organized by CITGO and
conducted in coordination with their sponsorship of the CITGO Bassmaster
Tournament Trail and the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. The fundraising event
was a kick-off to this year’s annual Classic ESPN Outdoors Expo
– the consumer expo that accompanies the CITGO Bassmaster Classic.
The fundraising event was highlighted by both live and silent auctions
with all proceeds benefiting the MDA. For the very first time bass fishing
enthusiasts that were unable to attend the event were invited to bid
on unique items from the tournament on eBay for a ten-day period just
prior to the event. Items auctioned on eBay included tournament jerseys
autographed by superstars of the sport, as well as a brand new tournament
bass fishing boat.
The heavily attended event raised approximately $72,000 for the very
worthy cause – approximately $19,000 of the amount from the eBay
auction alone. This event marks the first time that CITGO has partnered
with BASS to raise money for the MDA - and with its’ initial success
hopes to continue to explore opportunities to do more of the same.
“As a long time sponsor of the MDA, we are constantly seeking
new ways to increase both awareness and funds raised. It is both exciting
and rewarding to identify and develop synergies between our primary
sponsorships, in this instance BASS, CITGO Racing and MDA. We are most
grateful to BASS and Milka Duno for their commitment to the Weigh In
event”, said Geoff Smith, manager of sponsorships and promotions
for CITGO.
Milka and her CITGO Racing team are the newest sponsorship stars for
CITGO, and as the racing team is based near Charlotte, this event created
a wonderful opportunity for Milka and members of her team to be involved
with her sponsor and the MDA.
“It was such a wonderful and rewarding evening,” said Milka.
Not only did I get a chance to meet all the dedicated and generous people
involved with CITGO, BASS and the MDA, I also had the honor of meeting
several of the children affected by muscle disease. I hope to increase
my participation in this very worthwhile cause.”
Milka, along with her teammate Andy Wallace, compete in the 2004 Rolex
Sports Car Series. Milka and Andy drive for Howard-Boss Motorsports
in the #2 CITGO Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototype and delivered to
CITGO their very first win in the series in only the 2nd race of the
season – the Grand Prix of Miami on February 28, 2004. With this
win for CITGO Milka became the first woman in history to score an overall
win in a major North American Sports Car Race.
CITGO has been the MDA’s largest national corporate sponsor during
their continuous 19-year involvement, having raised over $64,000,000
for the charity organization.
CITGO, based in Tulsa, Okla., is a refiner, transporter and marketer
of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, refined waxes,
asphalt and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America,
Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela,
S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
For more information on CITGO visit www.citgo.com.
Additional information on drivers Milka Duno and Andy Wallace is available
at www.milkaduno.com and www.andywallace.com, respectively. For more
information on the Grand American Sports Car Series please visit www.grandamerican.com.
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