HOUSTON, March 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2020 BBVA
Classic, the annual charity game set to take place on March 27 between the Houston Dynamo and
Cruz Azul, will benefit
environmental advocacy group Citizens' Environmental Coalition, the
bank and the team announced today.
The Citizens' Environmental Coalition (CEC) is an alliance of
diverse nonprofit organizations that promote environmental advocacy
and sustainability. Partial proceeds from the BBVA Classic will go
to the CEC and its efforts to build a more sustainable future for
the Houston area.
"Building and ensuring an environmentally sustainable future for
our communities is a priority for BBVA USA and BBVA across the globe," said BBVA
USA Director of Communications and
Responsible Business Reymundo Ocañas. "As a financial institution,
BBVA believes that the future of finance is financing the future,
and we're prepared to play a key role in that mission. The
Citizens' Environmental Coalition has been a vital advocate for
sustainability for multiple decades, and we're excited to name them
this year's BBVA Classic beneficiary. The game's proceeds will help
usher Houston into a future with a
sustainable environment and ample opportunities."
The CEC's mission is "to foster dialogue, education, and
collaboration on environmental issues in the Houston/Gulf Coast region." The coalition has
approximately 130 member organizations that include professional
associations, conservation groups, and activists. Founded in 1971,
the CEC hosts multiple programs throughout the year, including
Earth Day Houston, to achieve its vision.
"The CEC is proud to host Earth Day Houston at Discovery Green
this April 19 for the third straight
year," said Rachel Powers, CEC
Executive Director. "And we are thrilled and deeply honored to be
named beneficiary of the BBVA Classic."
Among the CEC's other initiatives are its Green Films Program,
professional-development program for teachers, and weekly
environmental newsletter. The Citizens' Environmental
Coalition mission aligns with the visions of both BBVA USA and the Houston Dynamo as they head into
the new decade.
"Part of our mission as a Club is to create championship-level
experiences and increase value for our stakeholders, and we
consider our community and our neighbors to be hugely important
stakeholders," said Dynamo President John
Walker. "Partnering with BBVA and the Citizens'
Environmental Coalition helps further sustainability efforts that
will benefit Houston for
generations to come, and we are incredibly proud to dedicate this
year's BBVA Classic to that goal."
As outlined in its new strategic plan, BBVA is committed to
helping clients prepare for an increased focus on sustainability
from an economic and environmental standpoint. As an early
expression of its focus on environmental sustainability, the bank
in 2018 launched Pledge 2025, a plan to mobilize €100 billion in
green finance, sustainable infrastructures, social entrepreneurship
and financial inclusion through 2025. As of January 2020, the bank has already mobilized €30
billion.
In addition to naming the CEC as the beneficiary of the game,
BBVA and the Dynamo will be participating in future volunteer
events held by the organization. This includes an event the week of
the BBVA Classic and another volunteer event with bank employees in
mid-April leading up to Earth Day.
Presented in partnership with Sports Marketing Monterrey as part
of the SocioMX Tour, the BBVA Classic is set to kick off at
8 p.m. CDT on March 27, and will be the second meeting between
the Dynamo and Cruz Azul, as the two
sides previously met in 2017 for a mid-year friendly. Like the last
meeting, the match will be played at the environmentally-friendly,
LEED® Silver certified BBVA Stadium, the first sports facility in
Houston to earn such a rating.
In July 2016, the stadium earned
an Environmental Innovator of the Year award from the Green Sports
Alliance for being a "green-friendly" stadium. Specifically, the
award is given to stadiums in each major sport in the United States for "accelerating
environmental progress by integrating" environmentally friendly
stadium operations.
The 2019 BBVA Classic, pitting the Houston Dynamo against
Mexican powerhouse Club América, generated $20,000 from the more than 20,000 who attended
the game and purchased tickets. The proceeds benefited the Tejano
Center for Community Concerns.
For more BBVA news visit, www.bbva.com and the U.S.
Newsroom.
Additional news updates can be found via Twitter and
Instagram.
For more financial information about BBVA in the U.S., visit
bbva.investorroom.com.
About BBVA
BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial
services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership
position in the Spanish market and is the largest financial
institution in Mexico. It has
leading franchises in South
America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. It is also the leading
shareholder in Turkey's BBVA
Garanti. BBVA's purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to
everyone, based on our customers' real needs: provide the best
solutions, helping them make the best financial decisions, through
an easy and convenient experience. The institution rests in solid
values: Customer comes first, we think big and we are one team.
BBVA's responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more
inclusive and sustainable society.
BBVA USA
In the U.S., BBVA is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that
operates 641 branches, including 329 in Texas, 89
in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45
in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 17 in New
Mexico. The bank ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial
banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest
banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th)
and Arizona (6th). In the U.S., BBVA has been recognized
as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business
Administration (SBA) and ranked 8th nationally in terms of dollar
volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2018.
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SOURCE BBVA USA