Industry, Sky High working together

SKY HIGH FOUNDATION TEAMS UP WITH OIL PATCH TO FIGHT PEDIATRIC CANCER

ANTHONY ANDORA, EDGE CONSULTING, SANTA MONICA, CA

STEEPED IN A TRADITION of hard work, dedication, and patriotism, the oil and gas industry is one of the most caring and compassionate industries in our country today. In 2014 alone, Chevron Corp. donated $274 million to worldwide contributions. ExxonMobil donated $227 million to public health projects, economic development initiatives, and advancements in women's issues. Combined, that's more than half a billion dollars from two companies alone.

For an industry that is often maligned as self-interested and money-hungry, this image of compassion and concern runs contrary to the belief of many. However, the truth is that oil and gas companies aren't just donating dollars, they're also on the front lines. They're volunteering their time, their efforts, and their resources to help others. And it's not just the large supermajor oil companies that participate in charitable giving, it's the independent producers, the oilfield service operators, and the individual oil and gas employees that offer their money, time, and resources to make a difference helping others less fortunate.

Take Sky High Inc., a non-profit foundation (Sky High Foundation), dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer. Founded in 2007 by Brittany Hebert, Sky High, in cooperation with St. Jude Children's Hospital, mobilizes hundreds of volunteers, attracts thousands of participants, and raises millions of dollars to help support families who have a child diagnosed with cancer.

Revenues generated from fundraising activities are used to ensure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food -because both Sky High and St. Jude know that the only worry that families should have is helping keep their child alive.

None of Sky High's initiatives would be possible without the full faith and support of the oil and gas industry. From Brittany Hebert's first phone call to Pegasus International in 2007 (now Universal Pegasus International) to the foundation's current fundraising activities, the oil and natural gas industry has stood side-by-side with Sky High in its fight against pediatric cancer.

And it's not just a single oil and gas company or individual that donates its time and resources. The typical Sky High fundraiser includes more than 50 oil and gas sponsors, 1,500 participants, 150 volunteers predominantly from oil and gas companies, and untold hours of hard work and dedication. Strike Construction, for example, donates the use of an 18-wheel semi-tractor trailer for Sky High events in Lafayette, Houston, and San Antonio. The trailer is one of 20 cooking rigs used to feed the large number of attendees at the foundation's clay shoots and concerts.

Anadarko Petroleum, with the help of Grayling Carter, the company's GoM superintendent, formed a 30-person committee at Anadarko's Onshore Maverick Basin division located in Carrizo Springs, Texas, to help Sky High launch the first San Antonio clay shoot and concert. Numerous other oil and gas companies, including, but not limited to, C.E. Oil Tool, NalcoChampion, Gibsons, TexStar, FET, Sonoco, Ace Specialties, PeBen USA, Spitzer Industries, Energy Transfer, Cameron, Trimac Transportation, and Total Safety, have donated time, money, and support to Brittany Hebert's vision of a world without cancer.

The first San Antonio clay shoot and concert alone, a two-day event, raised more than $1 million for the foundation. When asked what prompted Anadarko Petroleum to form a 30-person committee to help Sky High launch, the San Antonio fundraiser, David Doland, the chairman of the committee said, "Working with Brittany, I quickly learned the numbers behind pediatric cancer. Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer, and 12% of those children diagnosed will not survive. And more than 40,000 children will undergo treatment for cancer this year alone. There can be no more noble a cause than helping a child who has cancer."

Even during the industry's worst recession, a recession that claimed the jobs and livelihood of more than 200,000 oil and gas professionals, industry employees still showed up when called upon. They volunteered their time, their efforts, and resources to fight pediatric cancer with Sky High.

Hebert explained, "Down cycles in the oil and gas sector can be devastating. Individuals lose their jobs, families lose their primary source of income, and businesses go under. I know this because I've been in the industry my entire career. The selflessness displayed by these individuals, many of whom may have lost their jobs, is what makes the outpouring of support for the foundation even more remarkable during this downturn."

She added, "Yes, donations in 2015 are down from 2014. But volunteer turnout, along with enthusiasm for our initiatives, continues to grow. Individuals who have lost their jobs, individuals who have no reason to celebrate and all the more reason to fear the future, are still coming out to support us. Given what our industry has been through in the past 36 months, I can say with strong confidence that you won't find another group of people more eager and willing to help even though many of their professional careers and futures are at risk."

Neither Sky High nor the dozens of oil and gas companies or hundreds of volunteers at the events are looking for self-recognition or a pat on the shoulder. Rather, the oil and gas industry and foundations like Sky High that depend on the generosity of the energy sector, seek to set the record straight. Hebert notes, "We work in a compassionate industry, an industry in which many donate their time, their efforts, and their resources to help those with less."

To date, Sky High, through the generous support of the oil and gas industry, has donated more than $4 million to fight pediatric cancer. Survival rates for pediatric cancer, through advancements in medical treatment initiatives, have increased from 20% to 80%. And while the efforts put forth by Hebert, Doland, or Jody Johnson from Strike Construction may seem like full-time employment initiatives, they are not. None of these individuals receive a paycheck for their hard work or accomplishments. Rather, their compensation is delivered in the form of courageous, young smiles from children fighting the fight of their life and defeating cancer.

The oil and gas industry and Sky High are already hard at work on their upcoming February event in Houston. To learn how you too can make a difference, visit the foundation's website (www.skyhighshoot.org).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anthony Andora ([email protected]) is president of Edge Consulting, a communications and branding firm serving the oil and gas industry. With over 15 years of experience, Andora has consulted, advised, and represented companies on issues ranging from focus groups, advertising initiatives, investor relations, and national media campaigns. He has co-produced, developed, and placed content in/on CNBC, FOX Business News, Bloomberg Television, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and OGFJ.