Key Points

•  Marathon Petroleum’s Garyville refinery joined the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee to bring Super Bowl programming to local communities. 
• More than a dozen employees volunteered at STEM FEST, one of two events the refinery is supporting through its partnership with the Super Bowl Host Committee. 
•  Held at East St. John High School in LaPlace, Louisiana, the STEM event featured more than 60 hands-on activities for kids and their parents.

Planning for the Super Bowl takes years and, as they say, a village to make the most of the big game when it comes to a town near you. Marathon Petroleum’s Garyville refinery is located just 40 miles from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans where Super Bowl LIX will be played. The refinery team jumped at the chance to be part of the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee.

Led by the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Saints, this committee is responsible for way more than what fans will see on Super Bowl Sunday, including at the community level. As part of Marathon Petroleum’s sponsorship, one of those events took place in December at East St. John High School in LaPlace, where more than a dozen of our employees rolled up their sleeves and joined the fun at the Bridge 2 Innovation STEM FEST in partnership with STEM NOLA.

“Bringing Super Bowl-level programming to communities like St. John Parish, where so many of our employees and their families live, is incredibly impactful,” said Sr. Community Investment Representative at Marathon Petroleum Iman Montgomery. “But it’s just as meaningful for everyone who calls this place home. That’s why we couldn’t be prouder to be part of this larger effort with the Super Bowl Host Committee.”

Powered by Marathon Petroleum, hundreds of kids and their parents packed into the gym for a few hours of hands-on fun, where innovation and imagination ruled the day. More than 60 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities made for a super event ahead of the Super Bowl.

“This is about much more than the game on Sunday. It’s about events like this and the ones that continue long after the Super Bowl is over,” said Donald Dunbar, Assistant Director of Community Engagement for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and New Orleans Super Bowl Committee. “Our goal from the start with this committee was to build partnerships and relationships that last, and our connection with Marathon can continue making an impact in this community for years to come.”

East St. John High School’s gymnasium was the perfect setting for the STEM event. The school has hosted several similar programs in recent years as the local school system and business partners like Marathon Petroleum invest in a wide range of educational opportunities.

“It’s so important to bring events like this to our community as often as possible so our students can experience them,” said Dr. Cleo Perry, St. John Parish Public Schools Superintendent. “But it’s just as important to do it with partners like Marathon, who help make these incredible opportunities possible for our kids. We want them to make the connection between the classroom and the workforce at every chance they get because we want to give them every opportunity to succeed once they leave our doors.”