Halliburton signs on as major Relay sponsor

By GREG A. COLLINSPublicity Committee

Cindy Atchley, southeast community involvement coordinator for Halliburton, left, and Pat Hutyra, facility manager for the Halliburton office in Kilgore, right, present Claud Wallace of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life Committee a check for $5,000 to underwrite the luminary ceremony that will be held during the event on April 29-30. Halliburton's donation is in memory of longtime employee Billy Boggess. Halliburton will also have a team in Relay.

Halliburton presented $5,000 to the Kilgore American Cancer Society Relay for Life Committee Wednesday. The contribution will underwrite the luminary ceremony for the Relay in April.

Cindy Atchley, southeast community involvement coordinator, and Pat Hutyra, facility manager for the Kilgore office, presented the check to Claud Wallace of the Kilgore Relay for Life Committee Wednesday afternoon.

Wallace is in charge of getting major donors for the Kilgore Relay.

Both Atchley and Hutyra said the donation is made in memory of longtime Halliburton employee Billy Boggess. Not only is a donation being made in his memory here in Kilgore, but the Laurel, Mississippi and Northport, Alabama offices will also make donations to their Relay for Life events in memory of the longtime Halliburton employee.

Halliburton, a Houston-based company which has had an office in Kilgore for nearly 50 years, according to Hutyra, is active in Kilgore's Relay for Life and has been a strong supporter of the event since it started.

Last year, Halliburton had several fundraisers, including a barbecue dinner and dunk tank, and the Kilgore office also fielded two teams for the 2004 Relay.

This year, besides being a major donor, Halliburton is once again fielding a team and will have a garage sale fundraiser as well as other events during the month of April. As in the past, Halliburton expects to be among the leading contributors to the Kilgore Relay for Life event.

Rachel Conner, treasurer for the Kilgore Relay for Life committee, said she was grateful to Halliburton for their support and said the Kilgore office is always ready to help in the fight against cancer by participating in Relay.

Based in Houston, Halliburton does all kinds of oil field service work in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Kilgore employees are active in the community in a wide variety of programs.