As 70 LyondellBasell employees volunteered in the Netherlands to raise money for the advancement of brain tumor treatment by running in the Rotterdam Marathon, their goal took on an even deeper meaning. Six weeks before the marathon event, a dear colleague, Jeroen Breen, sadly passed away from brain disease. The employees’ participation, along with the 11,290 euros raised became a way to honor Breen.
“We will remember Jeroen as a dedicated professional with a positive and pleasant attitude,” said Richard Roudeix, LyondellBasell senior vice president, Olefins & Polyolefins, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “He was an enthusiastic marathon runner. Participating in the marathon to help advance brain tumor research will be one of the best ways for us to pay tribute to Jeroen. He will be greatly missed.”
The funds from the Rotterdam Marathon will help support more effective treatments for brain tumors at Erasmus Medical Center (EMC), one of the most reputable institutions in clinical medicine in Europe.
Similarly, in the U.S. this spring, about 65 LyondellBasell Houston-area employees, contractors, friends and families participated in a fundraising initiative to bring hope to individuals battling multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic disease that impacts the central nervous system. The Bike MS: Texas MS 150, is a 150-mile, two-day bike ride from Houston to College Station, Texas, to raise funds for lifesaving programs and research to combat the disabling disease.
“Since 2005, the Bike MS: Texas MS 150 has been both physically challenging and emotionally rewarding,” said Kim Foley, LyondellBasell senior vice president, Health, Safety and Environment, Global Engineering and Turnarounds. “I made a commitment to myself and my family that I would ride as long as I could and make a difference through fundraising to find a cure.”
This year, employees pedaled their way to a company milestone, having reached more than $2 million raised in LyondellBasell’s 24-year participation of the Bike: Texas MS 150. Some employees even reached personal milestones, including Foley who raised $100,000 for the MS Society in 17 years of riding. She joins the “National Multiple Sclerosis Fundraising Hall of Fame” for top fundraising riders with colleagues Steve Strauss, LyondellBasell lead counsel of Refining & Projects, and Miraj Patel, LyondellBasell operations planning manager, Polymers America.
LyondellBasell employees around the world are dedicated to making considerable impacts through volunteerism, donations and working side-by-side with community partners. For more stories about how employees are making a difference in communities across the globe, click here.
