March 15, 2008
CITGO fuel donation aids 4,000 homes in the YK Delta
For the second year in a row, CITGO (CITies service Gas and Oil) offered Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta residents a special gift. One hundred gallons of free stove oil.
In a region where gas prices are soaring at over $5.00 a gallon, the 400,000 gallons of fuel that filled tanks this past month is estimated to be valued at over $2 million dollars.
In partnership with the Association of Village Council Presidents, YKHC's Grant Development Department administered the fuel donation program to households in 46 villages, a total of 4,147 households. Vouchers were mailed to fuel vendors the third week in February.
YKHC handled the allocation for 17 villages-Alakanuk, Aniak, Chevak, Emmonak, Hooper Bay, Kotlik, Marshall, Mekoryuk, Mountain Village, Nighmute, Pilot Station, Pitka's Point, Quinhagak, Russian Mission, Saint Mary's, Scammon Bay, and Toksook Bay.
For residents of Lime Village, where a gallon of stove oil is $7.75, the donation arrived just in time for the last stretch of cold winter temperatures.
"YKHC appreciates the cooperation of various organizations and Tribal Councils to make this fuel donation program possible," said Gene Peltola, YKHC President/CEO. "The fuel provides heat against the frigid temperature that can contribute to many respiratory illnesses during this season."
CITGO is a refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and other industrial products owned by PDV America, Inc., a subsidiary of the national oil company of Venezuela.