The Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN), based in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., is the first winner of the Fueling Good promotion presented by CITGO Petroleum Corp.

 

CVHN provides free health and dental care to uninsured and underinsured children across northwest Florida.

 

Launched this June, the CITGO Fueling Good promotion recognizes and rewards the efforts of people across the country who go above and beyond to provide a positive impact on the lives of others.

 

Based on the underlying principals of solidarity and social development held by CITGO and its shareholder, PDVSA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Fueling Good contest invites local heroes to submit their story of doing good to www.FuelingGood.com.

 

The entry submitted by CVHN received the most points, beating out four other finalists, to help them continue their work of spreading hope and health care to school-aged children across Florida’s Walton and Okaloosa counties.

 

“We are always watching our budget, so having a year’s supply of free fuel will let us spend that money in other ways and continue our work in the community,” said Jane Bahr, a founding board member of CVHN. “Not only will our prize from CITGO enable our program to reach a wider audience across Florida’s panhandle, but the exposure generated by our involvement in Fueling Good has helped raise our profile across the country. We hope that through this contest, we can make more people aware of the needs of uninsured and underinsured children.”

 

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, this month’s runners up each received a $50 CITGO gift card. These local heroes include:

 

• Food Drive for Kids, organized by Lisa Muran of Crystal Beach, Fla., collects food for a local facility that houses families with children fighting cancer.

 

• Spread the Dough of Stratham, N.H. collects bread and distributes it to local homeless shelters.

 

• Amanda Lianne Maness of Bear Creek, N. C. lost sight in one eye after a car accident in late 2008 and now coordinates programs for children who are visually impaired.

 

•  Home Runs for Hope, a program created by 11-year old Zachary Stokes, encourages friends, family and others in the community to donate money for every home run hit by the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. All money raised goes to the Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia, S. C., where Zachary receives vital health care.

 

Each month, from July through November, five finalists will be selected from the entries submitted online for a monthly online vote, which will help decide the winner of gift cards worth a year’s supply of fuel from CITGO.