Brownsville Railway Partners with Local Schools to Support Community Recovery Efforts

$9,000 donation to Point Isabel School District provides clothing and school supplies for local students and families impacted by Laguna Heights tornado

August 14, 2023 – Brownsville, Texas – Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, LLC (BRG) – a managed affiliate of OmniTRAX – presented Point Isabel School District with a check for $9,000 during a ceremony that honored each of BRG’s nine recipients of the 2022 OmniTRAX Safe Shipper Award. Each year, the BRG acknowledges companies that exemplify rail safety by handling sensitive and hazardous materials with no accidental releases while moving in and out of the Port of Brownsville during the previous year. To underscore our mutual commitment to community safety, the annual Safe Shipper Awards honor BRG’s shipping partners who embody shipping excellence. These companies that achieve flawless shipping record are recognized with a BRG donation to a local community partner in their honor.

“Safety and service are the hallmarks of the BRG. We are deeply committed to the safety of our team, our customers, and the communities we serve each day,” said BRG President Shariff Gonnella. “The Laguna Heights tornado has had a devasting impact on local students and families. As a father, I know there is no greater priority than caring for your children and I feel deeply for each family struggling to recover from the damage. The BRG and our shipping partners are honored to help provide essential school supplies and clothing for the Point Isabel students.”

The 2022 OmniTRAX Safe Shipper Award recipients for the BRG are ABC Gulf Coast Terminal, LLC, Bluewing Midstream, LLC, Brownsville Gulfside Warehouse, Brownsville Mineral Warehouse, Firebird Bulk Carriers, Inc., Interlube Corporation, Motus Energy, LLC,

TEXAS KLM, LLC, and Valero. $1,000 community donations on behalf of each recipient were presented to Point Isabel School District.

“Point Isabel ISD families living in the Laguna Heights area have suffered a great loss. When a tornado hit our community, many of our students’ families were displaced when their homes were immensely damaged or completely destroyed,” said Point Isabel ISD Superintendent Terri Capistran. “With families homeless and living in hotels, the contributions from local organizations such as BRG and the school district are providing meaningful support to help these families recover from the damage this tornado has done to our community.

The BRG provides exclusive rail transportation to all facilities located within the 40,000-acre Brownsville Navigation District at the Port of Brownsville. With key cross-border rail interchanges that connect to the Union Pacific, BNSF, and CPKC railroads, BRG is a strategic import and export artery between the US and Mexico.