MPLX Trucking Fleets Deliver for Ute Tribe’s Youth

Key Points

• Young people from the Ute Indian Tribe are benefiting from the collective efforts in 2025 of companies operating in northeastern Utah, including Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX.
• Their support of an annual golf fundraiser strengthened the Ute Education Endowment Foundation, which provides scholarships and related programs.
• Additionally, MPLX trucking fleet employees provided over $3,000 in school supplies and helped distribute winter coats to elementary school children in need.

Over the past several years, a nonprofit foundation has been established to raise funds for scholarships and related educational programs for youth from the Ute Indian Tribe in northeastern Utah. Creation of the Ute Education Endowment Foundation is largely attributable to ongoing support from companies that operate in the region such as Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX.

“MPLX’s trucking fleets have played a vital role in bringing this vision to life,” said Blake Buxbaum, Project Manager with Ute Energy, the energy development company for the Ute Tribe that led the foundation’s formation. “By serving as a key sponsor and regularly fielding teams for the annual Ute Education Endowment Fund golf tournament, MPLX sets a strong example that encourages other industry partners to participate and further strengthen the endowment fund.”

In 2025, employee volunteers from MPLX’s trucking fleets based in Roosevelt and Salt Lake City supported the tribe’s youth in more ways than one. Along with participating in the endowment fund’s golf tournament fundraiser, volunteers from the Salt Lake City fleet conducted a school supply drive.

“We collected more than $3,000 of classroom essentials and backpacks,” said Salt Lake City Transport Supervisor Hannah Shank. “Building this relationship with the tribe has been important to us, and we’ve been working hard to partner with them and work together.”

Employee volunteers from the Roosevelt fleet staffed a winter coat distribution event that the company funded in support of the nonprofit, Operation Warm. They provided coats to more than 250 children from three elementary schools that Ute students attend.

“This activity was very meaningful to our families. We frequently have students without coats during the winter months and have loaners we give to students for recess and the like,” said Eagle View Elementary School Principal Chris Jones. “Across the three schools involved in the distribution, we serve about 80% of elementary students from the Uintah and Ouray Reservation of the Ute Tribe.” 

Buxbaum pointed to the powerful impacts that can come from collaboration.

“Being able to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives through this kind of assistance is both humbling and deeply rewarding,” he said. “These efforts not only expand opportunities for Ute youth but also demonstrate what can be achieved when industry partners and tribal enterprises work together in support of the next generation.”