BP is continuing Amoco's legacy of community involvement.
BP's donation of nearly 10 acres of the former Amoco refinery site will give the City of Wood River a location to build a water detention pond that will relieve flooding that has long plagued area residents. The donation also will help make it possible for the City to establish a water control plan to separate the City's storm water and sanitary sewer lines and stop combined sewerage overflows to the Mississippi River.
Mayor Fred Ufert said, "For years, area residents have suffered from flooding and sewer backups in their homes during heavy rains. Finding a solution to this long-standing problem has been a major priority of my administration and the City Council. Thanks to the donation of nearly 10 acres of land by BP, we have the property we need to build a water detention pond to hold storm water during periods of heavy rain. We appreciate BP's support of our efforts to help area residents."
Tom Tunnicliff, BP's project manager for the former Amoco refinery site, said, "This has been a serious issue for this community for many years and we are pleased to be able to offer this land to the City so that it can be reused in such a positive way. This property has played a central role in the history of the community and we are committed to finding ways for it to continue to provide a benefit to the people of Wood River."
Steve Palen, Wood River Director of Public Services, said this project is critical to improving the City's infrastructure. "The City is under a federal administrative order to establish a long term control plan for combined sewerage overflows to the Mississippi River. This work will begin to address those requirements to separate its old, combined storm water and sanitary sewer lines. This project will give us a sensible way to begin to meet this order and solve historic flooding issues that have been a significant problem for some area homeowners."
BP is providing support for three organizations near its former refinery in Wood River, Illinois that are lending a hand to those hit hard by the poor economy.
Tom Tunnicliff, BP’s Operations Project Manager in charge of cleaning up the former refinery site, said, “Wood River and the communities that surround it have been hit hard by the poor economy, like so many other areas in this country. We wanted to do our part by helping several key local organizations expand the services they are providing to people who are struggling.”
BP is donating $5,000 to the Wood River Public Library to expand technology, including adding additional services to help unemployed residents with resumes and job applications.
Wood River Public Library Director Diane Steele said, “We are looking at expanding our technology, including new laptops and software. Our goal is to expand access to our services with new software for area children, as well as job search assistance. With state funds being limited, we could not do this without private assistance. BP’s assistance will make a big impact on the services we can provide residents.”
BP also is donating $5,000 to Operation Blessing in downtown Wood River, one of the largest food pantries in the area. The organization provides food, clothing and household items to families in need.
Virginia Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of Operation Blessing, said, “The demand for our services has been so great in our community in the last year. The need is even greater than when we started in 1982 after several area companies closed and downsized. This donation will help us continue in our mission of service to our neighbors in need.”
BP is giving $2500 to the YWCA of Alton to support its services for young women and their families.
YWCA Interim Executive Director Naeem Slaise, “We are going to use BP’s funds to help us with an ongoing effort to reduce our operating costs through energy conservation upgrades, as well as support events like our Run Against Racism. By lowering our energy costs, we will be able to both operate in a greener and more sustainable way and put more of our resources into our programs for young women and their families.”
Tunnicliff said, “These three organizations are really making a difference in the lives of people who are struggling to provide for their families. BP is proud to be able to support these groups.”
Over the last two years, BP has continued its tradition of involvement in the community with donations to support important local organizations and events.
BP donated $5,000 to the BeDell Center in both 2009 and 2010, which provides services to developmentally disabled residents of Madison County, including education, early intervention, physical therapy, case management, and independent living support. In addition, BP is donating to the organization's annual fundraising dance.
BP Wood River Project Manager Tom Tunnicliff said, “Amoco and, now, BP have supported this worthy organization for many years. In the 1980s, Amoco donated the former refinery administrative building to the organization and has continued to support the critical work it does in our area.”
BP donated $500 to help sponsor this year’s Italian-Croatian Festival in Wood River and $100 to the Wood River Heritage Council, an organization strongly supported for many years by BP Volunteers with donations of both volunteer hours and financial support.
BP also has continued its long-standing sponsorship of the Lewis & Clark Community College Water Festival, an important environmental and conservation education events.
Since nearly its inception, BP has been a sponsor of the Lewis and Clark Community College Water Festival that brings hundreds of area students to the campus to learn about the ecology of local rivers and their historical importance to the region.
BP donated $10,000 to help Wood River celebrate its centennial with a family picnic and fireworks display on September 20th.
BP Environmental Business Manager Tom Tunnicliff said, "It seems only appropriate for us to play a role in celebrating the community's centennial. The history of the refinery and the history of the community begin together. The opening of the refinery in 1907 gave birth to Wood River when Standard Oil Company bought over 30 Sears catalog homes to launch a new city for its workers."
While the refinery closed in 1981 and the chemical additives plant closed in 1996, BP continues to operate a marketing terminal that distributes petroleum products to service stations in a 100-mile radius of Wood River. Marketing Terminal Manager Vern St. Peters said, "Amoco and BP played a significant role in the first 100 years of this community and we're pleased to still be here playing a positive role as the community begins its next 100 years."
In May, the Alton YWCA announced its winners of the prestigious "Women of Distinction" award. Among the list of professionals, civic leaders and volunteers was BP's very own woman of distinction, Sharon Arnold.
The annual award is given to 12 local women who exemplify the YWCA's ideals of leadership, volunteerism and professionalism and Sharon Arnold is a winner in all three categories, even if she has her doubts. "I was surprised. I was humbled. I never dreamed I'd be chosen as a Woman of Distinction," she said. "I thought you had to be a real professional or someone who served on a big board of directors." She was up against a field of 31 women. According to Pam Whisler, the chairperson of the program, the list of nominees "was unbelievable this year."
In 1994, while employed in the human resources department at Amoco, Sharon learned about a new company program called AmoCARES (Concerned Amoco Retirees Engaged in Service). The program was designed as a way to support retirees in their volunteer efforts in the community by making grants available to the organizations to which they belong. Sharon approached her supervisor and volunteered to start a local chapter of the organization. She has been the chairperson and driving force of the program ever since. After Amoco and BP merged, the program was renamed BP Volunteers.
Since its inception, BP Volunteers has donated 114,640 volunteer hours in the community and over $60,000 in grants to organizations including the American Red Cross, the Wood River Museum and Visitors Center, the Salvation Army, Wood River's Parks and Recreation Department, Pride, Habitat for Humanity, Senior Services, March of Dimes, local libraries, food pantries and local schools. Arnold herself has donated 3,548 hours.
BP has donated $25,000 to two worthy Wood River organizations. The donations include $20,000 to the Wood River Museum and Visitors Center and $5,000 to the William M. BeDell Achievement and Resource Center.
"BP has a history of support for both of these excellent organizations," said Wood River BP Manager Thomas Tunnicliff. "The company donated a former administration building as a Wood River location for the William BeDell Center. BP volunteers, many of them retirees led by Sharon Arnold, lent their efforts to help Lawanda Smith and the museum committee get the museum started. The museum includes an impressive collection of memorabilia and displays on the history of the area, including Amoco refinery memorabilia."
BP retirees are active at the museum, including the organization's leader Sharon Arnold. In addition to volunteer time from the organization, BP has donated nearly $60,000 over the years to support the museum in its mission of preserving this area's history.
BP Terminal Manager Vernon St. Peters echoed Tunnicliff's thoughts about supporting the community. "Our role here goes far beyond financial contributions, though," said St. Peters. "It's about being a strong business presence in the community. We will be here to safely and dependably provide fuel to the metropolitan area for years to come."
The William M. BeDell Achievement and Resource Center offers a wide array of services to individuals diagnosed as having a developmental disability and their families.
Through contributions like these, BP supports organizations across the US that work to improve people's lives.
Area firefighters used the ample open spaces at BP's Wood River facility for training with hazardous materials.
The City of Wood River has approached BP regarding the possibility of reserving a portion of this large property for a new municipal building/community center. BP is committed to working closely with the City to make certain the redevelopment of the project brings about the highest and best possible use for the community. As part of its commitment, BP is willing to evaluate that option as part of the larger redevelopment of the site and BP donated nearly $100,000 for an engineering and architectural study of such a facility.
When storms tore through the area twice last year, communities faced some major bills to clean up the tremendous amount of damage.
The City of Wood River turned to BP for help in cleaning up Belk Park. BP donated $20,000 to the effort, helping the community pay for tree pruning and debris removal.
Environmental Business Manager Tom Tunnicliff said, "The entire region was hit hard by the storms last year, and BP was happy to be able to lend the City a helping hand."
High winds from last year's storms knocked down a pole barn on BP's Wood River site, but the incident had a silver lining when wood and the metal roof from the barn was salvaged to help give the Boy Scouts in Marissa, Illinois a new home and a Marissa church a building for its youth group and other community events.
Mark Wallace from URS Corporation, one of the contractors at the Wood River site, is a Scout parent and volunteer. He approached BP with the request to salvage the roof. Tom Tunnicliff and volunteers from URS Corporation donated their time and labor to salvage the roof and send it to Marissa. The local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and their parents used the materials to put a new roof on an old storage building located across from a church in town. The building had gone unused for years and needed significant work before it could be utilized.
Cub Master Andrea Weymouth said, "A special thanks goes from the Scouts to BP and Tom Tunnicliff. Tom approved the donation, as well as lent a hand in salvaging the material. The Cub Scouts are very fortunate to have good leaders and the support of the community."
For many years, BP has supported local schools, donating to the After Prom and other positive activities. Last year, BP was able to donate funding to help the middle school construct much-needed new curbing for its parking lots.
BP has helped bring over $150,000 in brightly colored playground equipment to Wood River's children. The equipment has been located in parks throughout the community, with the largest centrally located near the Round House in downtown Wood River. This installation is specially adapted to make it accessible for children with special needs due to physical handicaps.
