Valero 2005 Annual Report Download - page 25

VA L E R O E N E R G Y C O R P O R AT I O N 23
An abandoned baby. A youngster
on dialysis. A lonely elder. A park in disrepair.
Whatever the need, whenever the call, Valero
and its employees stand ready to serve. With
outstretched hands and open wallets, they
invest thousands of hours and millions of dol-
lars each year to improve their communities.
It’s not a philosophy or frame of mind that
began in 2005, only perfected. It’s a culture
that actually came to life when the company
was born 25 years ago, and one that remains
vital to Valero’s mission today.
From volunteering to donating money,
employees vow annually to make a positive dif-
ference in people’s lives. In fact, that pledge in
2005 led to 220,000 hours of community ser-
vice companywide, and more than $45 million
contributed to charitable causes.
Thanks to the generosity of Valero employ-
ees, United Way agencies received nearly $12
million – up from $100,000 in 1980 when
the company was first listed on the New York
Stock Exchange. A 97 percent employee partic-
ipation rate, which is among the very highest
in the nation, meant that communities from
Canada to the Caribbean found funds to keep
vital service programs alive.
“Valero’s genuine spirit of sharing and
caring has created a brighter future
for countless individuals and families
across the nation.”
-- Howard Nolan, President and CEO,
United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County,
August 2005
The company’s caring culture has also spread
to its retail employees, who raised more
than $1.2 million for the Muscular Dystrophy
Association and over $884,000 for 38
Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
Valero employees have taken to heart
Chairman Bill Greehey’s favorite philosophy:
You are never truly a success until you share your
success with others.
Nowhere has that statement been truer than
with the success of Valero’s largest grassroots
fundraiser – the Valero Benefit for Children
Golf Classic. Held in conjunction with the
Valero Texas Open, this event encourages par-
ticipants to focus on more than just golf. They
focus on raising money for children in each of
the communities where Valero has operations,
and they help fund educational programs,
medicine, child care and more – grants that
build up the community by starting with its
littlest citizens.
Before Valero became the title sponsor in
2002, the Texas Open raised less than $5 mil-
lion during the previous 79 years combined.
But with Valero’s backing, the tournament has
raised nearly $14 million in just four years! In
2005 alone, a record-breaking $5.35 million
was donated to nearly 500 worthy community
groups. As a result of the meteoric rise in char-
ity dollars, the tournament has gone from the
bottom of the PGA TOUR’s charity rankings
to the top at No. 3.
The result of this success: children were cared
for, the homeless were housed, the hungry
were fed and communities were built.
Valero’s family of 21,923 employees will
always be there to help those who need it
most. And by extending a helping hand and
embracing a caring and sharing spirit, Valero
and all of its stakeholders – communities,
employees and shareholders – will continue to
grow and succeed in the coming years.
Chief Executive Officer
Bill Klesse led Valero’s
record $12 million United Way
campaign in 2005. Agency
tours, like this one to the
Daughters of Charity Services
of San Antonio, helped
employees see how their
contributions meet the needs
of the community.