BPI Pledges Major Contribution to USS Sioux City
BPI Pledges Major Contribution to USS Sioux City
Leadership-Level Gift Will Help Cement Relationship Between Ship and Namesake City
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – With members of the future USS Sioux City crew in town for the Veteran’s Day weekend, BPI President, Eldon Roth, announced a “Leadership-Level” commitment to the USS Sioux City Commissioning Committee from the company. Mr. Roth, who toured the commissioning site at the United States Naval Academy in September, confirmed that BPI will contribute $100,000 to the fundraising effort.
Roth, who has long championed causes and charities associated with our military veterans, expressed his admiration for the men and women of our Armed Forces stating, “I have always been, and remain deeply appreciative of the men and women in uniform who take an oath to defend freedom around the world. Let this contribution signify how grateful my family, as well as our company are to those courageous service members who sacrifice so much to protect American values and our way of life across the globe.”
The Chairman of the USS Sioux City Commissioning Committee, Rear Admiral Frank Thorp IV, USN (Ret.) addressed the importance of BPI’s significant contribution explaining, “This substantial gift will serve to cement the connection between this remarkable ship, her exceptional crew, and the extraordinary people of Sioux City. Not only will BPI’s generous contribution lay the foundation for the decades-long relationship between the ship and the namesake city, but it will also serve as a catalyst for our ongoing fundraising efforts.”
Thorp indicated that the Commissioning Committee has established a fundraising goal of between $800,000 and $1 million dollars. A portion of these monies will be used to build a “Legacy Fund” for educational expenses for the sailors and crew of the USS Sioux City and a percentage of these resources will be allocated to cover costs associated with the ship’s commissioning as federal funds are prohibited from use for such activities.
Siouxland Chamber President, Chris McGowan, who was asked to Co-Chair the USS Sioux City Commissioning Committee by Thorp, communicated his gratitude for BPI’s contribution by reminding people of the company’s long-standing commitment to local, regional, and national philanthropy. “In addition to supporting our military, last month BPI announced their $10 million employee relief fund, the company recently spent time serving approximately 100,000 donated meals to those devastated by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and continue their generosity here in Siouxland,” said McGowan. “The Roth family and BPI continue to lead by example not only in Siouxland, but around the nation.”
While the United States Navy has confirmed that the commissioning will take place at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, a specific date for commissioning has yet to be established. Officials close to the process anticipate that a date will be set for the spring or early summer of 2018.
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