HOUSTON – (Jan. 29, 2019) – At a Henderson Middle School assembly today, Motiva presented Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (HJISD) with a donation totaling $895,765 to support the Sour Lake area school district to recover and rebuild from the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. 

“We are overwhelmed by all of this,” said HJISD Superintendent Dru Mushlian.  “We are so excited to move forward with construction on the additional buildings as well as replacing equipment that we lost.  We will not only be able to continue programs that we have, we will be able to add new innovative classes and programs for our students.”

Hurricane Harvey heavily damaged Henderson Middle School, inundating the school with more than two feet of flood water.  The campus is now a collection of portable buildings, affectionately called “the Village,” connected by a boardwalk.  Motiva will be contributing four new temporary buildings to house a science lab, staff room/Fine Arts center, Special Education center, and computer lab. 

“The children and educators in Hardin-Jefferson ISD were dealt a severe blow, but it hasn’t dampened their spirit or drive for success,” said Ed Haloulos, executive vice president of human resources.  “It says a lot about the strength of this community, and we couldn’t be more honored to have the opportunity to be part of their recovery.”

The donation includes $150,000 in funding to replace band and athletic equipment that was destroyed.  Another $46,000 has been earmarked for the Hardin-Jefferson athletic building, which is shared by both Henderson Middle School and Hardin-Jefferson High School.  The athletic building sustained significant damage during the flood, with the training rooms, offices, and weight room completely underwater.

Hardin-Jefferson ISD officials estimate that it will take several years before they will be able to completely rebuild the middle school campus.  

“The Hardin-Jefferson band program is deeply grateful to Motiva for this generous donation to our students,” said Band Director Mike Westbrook. “The grant money will be used to purchase instruments, replacing ones lost to the flood waters at Henderson Middle School after Hurricane Harvey. We’ve had students sharing tubas, French horns, bass clarinets and baritones, as well as other instruments since last year’s devastation. Motiva’s gift will allow one-to-one horn assignments and gives our students a better chance to be successful. We look forward to many years of use and continued growth with these new horns!”

“We are so thankful for the funds we have been granted, and excited that some projects are already underway,” said Athletic Director Dwayne Dubois.  “New equipment is being ordered and will be here very soon.  When the storm hit, our community, school, and students lost so much.  We know that athletics will always be secondary to academics, but because of Motiva's generosity, our programs can continue to enhance the educational process.”

Since the landfall of the hurricane in August 2017, Motiva has been committed to supporting local communities rebuild and recover.  Motiva’s operations in Sour Lake play an important part in the company’s strategic logistics network. 

“Motiva is a part of the Sour Lake community,” said Greg Lucchesi, vice president and general manager of the Port Arthur refinery. “When our community struggles, we feel it too. Some of our employees have children in Hardin-Jefferson ISD and that makes this donation a very personal one for us.”

“The students are going to be very happy to make this school feel more like the school we lost,” said Madyson Owens, a student as Henderson Middle School. “I have heard several students get excited about the science lab. I know the teachers will be excited because they will get more space.  The money that was donated for extra-curricular activities helps out a lot and will put a big smile on our faces. It is refreshing to know that Motiva cares about the HJ community and donated all of this to help us out. Thanks again!” 

Education is a top priority for Motiva’s corporate social responsibility activities.  On Tuesday, January 22, Motiva presented donations totaling $900,000 to the Port Arthur Independent School District and Lamar State College Port Arthur to aid those educational institutions recovery from the effects of the storm.   

About Motiva

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the United States.  Motiva owns and operates North America’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas with a crude capacity of more than 600,000 barrels a day. The company also operates the country’s largest lubricant plant.  Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76^® Brand), Motiva’s marketing operations support more than 5,000 retail gasoline stations.  Motiva is wholly-owned by affiliates of Saudi Aramco.

About Hardin-Jefferson ISD

Hardin-Jefferson ISD is the heart of the community that brings Sour Lake, China, Nome, and newly acquired Bevil Oaks together to become Hawks.  HJISD serves approximately 2100 students district wide on four campuses. With tradition deep in academics, Hardin-Jefferson leads Southeast Texas in scores, graduation rates, and college readiness.