Excellence Refined - 30 Years - Valero

to coordinate the tournament itself. Starting in 1996, the
first three tournaments raised a total of $1.3 million for
51 children’s charities. But the stakes were raised again
when Valero claimed the title sponsorship of the Texas
Open in 2001.
Through its partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Valero Volunteers have built
homes for families in several states.
In 1993, Valero was honored with the United Way’s Spirit
of America Award for Excellence – its highest corporate
honor. At the time, Valero was the smallest company ever
to have won the national award. Valero had just 1,900
employees, revenues of $12 billion and was ranked No.
309 on the Fortune 500 list. With much excitement,
the company received this award again in 2004, making
Valero only the second company in United Way’s history
to win this award twice. By then, the company boasted
20,000 employees, revenues of $50 billion and a ranking
of No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list. Valero’s companywide
United Way gift of $7.5 million ranked among the top 30
campaigns in the nation. Six years later, in 2010, Valero
will compete for the award again. “Valero has made
headlines for many reasons through the years, but the
one thing I come back to over and over is this company’s
drive for community good,” said Kim Bowers, Executive
Vice President and General Counsel. “It’s remarkable to
see the length to which each location is willing to go.”
More Than Great Golf
The Valero Benefit for Children Golf
Classic is the company’s largest
grassroots fundraiser. Employees are
involved with every aspect of the event,
from soliciting sponsorships from suppliers and vendors,
and nominating the children’s charities, to volunteering
Held in the Alamo City since 1922, the Texas Open had
lost its title sponsor and was in danger of being moved
to another city. But Valero and San Antonio fought hard
to keep the event. The prestigious tournament was a
major economic generator, and it played an important
role in promoting the city as a golf destination. With
Valero’s new retail presence, which resulted from the
UDS acquisition, the company was able to step in and
save the important piece of history.
After becoming Texas Open title sponsor in 2001,
the Benefit for Children tournament has increased its
charitable contribution by $1 million or more every year
and spread those dollars to children’s charities across the
Valero system. In 2009, the Valero Texas Open raised a
remarkable $8 million for charity, securing its place – for
the third consecutive year – as the top PGA tournament
for charitable giving and one of the most successful
outcomes in the Texas Open’s 87-year history. Valero
has raised more than $45 million since 2002 through its
Texas Open activity. Bill Greehey’s vision and leadership
made the event a tremendous success.
Volunteerism the Valero Way
In 2008, Volunteer Councils led the company’s first
national Food Bank campaign. In California, volunteers
helped launch the Bay Area’s “2-1-1 Project,” which
allowed the United Way to answer 148,000 calls for
assistance in its first year. The Valero Wilmington Refinery
was named “Distinguished Citizen of the Year” by the
Long Beach Boy Scouts for its contributions to youth
and the community. Valero was only the third business
and first oil company to be recognized in the award’s 20-
year history. Elsewhere, volunteers have increased Meals
on Wheels routes, transformed lives through a truancy
counseling program, and fed hundreds of hungry families
through the company’s own “Stuff the Truck” initiative.
“In my 17 years of working in the nonprofit community,
The Heartbeat of Valero
30