In support of Special Olympics Illinois, employees from CITGO Lemont Refinery recently participated in the 2022 Polar Plunge at the Braidwood Recreation Club. It was the coldest day the area had seen in weeks with the temperature at just 18 degrees at the time of the plunge and the wind chill hovering in the low teens. The team of 11 CITGO plungers, combined with a corporate donation from CITGO, raised more than $13,000 for Special Olympics Illinois. The CITGO Team, dressed in a Hawaiian theme, was also presented with the “Most Spirited” award at the event. The Braidwood Polar Plunge event raised a total of $100,000 for Special Olympics Illinois from the 377 people taking the plunge that day.

“CITGO is honored to support the Special Olympics Illinois Polar Plunge again this year,” said Dennis Willig, CITGO Lemont vice president and general manager. Willig added that CITGO employees also participate in many of the other Special Olympics events, on and off the field, throughout the year.

Special Olympics Illinois has raised nearly $25 million from its more than 87,000 plungers since the event’s inception back in 1999.

Special Olympics Illinois provides year-round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development for people with intellectual disabilities. It has programs in 11 regions in Illinois and reaches more than 23,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities each year.

Headquartered in Houston, CITGO Petroleum Corp. operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 38 active terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,400 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains.