CITGO, Eight Mile Boulevard Association And Miss Michigan Representatives Team Up To "Clean The D"

DETROIT, May 11, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire/ -- Volunteers from CITGO Petroleum Corporation, local CITGO Marketers and Retailers, Eight Mile Boulevard Association (8MBA), and the Miss Michigan Organization came together on May 5th for the 16th annual "Clean the D" event to improve a 27 mile segment of Eight Mile Road.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120511/PH04507 )

"As we celebrate the 16th year of this event, we are humbled by the number of volunteers and their level of engagement in our community," said Tami Salisbury, executive director of the 8MBA. "This year's 'Clean the D' event was an incredible success thanks to the involvement of CITGO, its local Marketers and Retailers, Miss Michigan's representatives and, of course, our local community members."

More than 300 volunteers worked together to plant flowers, paint buildings, remove litter and clear debris. In addition, Shelby Gardiner, Lauren Brown, Alicia McInernery and Daveaux Riggs from the Miss Michigan Organization planted flowers at four local CITGO stations along Eight Mile Boulevard.

"It's no secret that local businesses in this area have faced some obstacles recently," said Bob Barrick, president of Barrick Enterprises. "The Eight Mile Boulevard Association and CITGO are helping us overcome these hurdles. We are honored to contribute to this effort, and we're grateful to be a part of this event each year."

Last year four local CITGO stations along Eight Mile Boulevard made dramatic improvements in the locations with new pumps, improved lighting, technologically advanced signs, and canopy and building designs in the bold, new CITGO image. Other improvements to these stations included upgrades to convenience store facilities and restrooms, along with revitalization of parking areas and new landscaping features.

In addition to these physical improvements, community support is a core value for both CITGO and the Marketers and Retailers who operate the nearly 6,000 locally owned CITGO stations. Like 8MBA, CITGO remains committed to helping its neighbors and improving lives in their local communities.

Eight Mile Boulevard Association (8MBA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to revitalize and promote the Eight Mile business, transportation and residential corridor between I-275 (west) and I-94 (east) by linking the public and private sectors. For more information about 8MBA, visit http://www.eightmile.org.

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information visit www.CITGO.com.

Copyright 2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.