Nicor's Employees Give Back to Northern Illinois with 7Th Annual Volunteer Day; Company Volunteers Will Paint, Landscape and More in Communities

Business Wire, May 8, 2003

Business Editors

NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2003

On May 17, Nicor employees, along with volunteers across the Nicor service territory, won't spend their Saturday morning as usual -- running errands and doing household chores. Instead, they'll be partaking in the Seventh-Annual Nicor Volunteer Day, an initiative launched in 1997 to celebrate Nicor's year-around commitment to volunteerism.

"I'm proud that the employees of Nicor have adopted Volunteer Day over the years and made it a tradition," said Tom Fisher, Nicor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Throughout the year our people give back to the communities where they work and live, but on this day they come together with their fellow employees and embrace the true spirit of volunteerism."

From Evanston to Harvey and Rockford to Bloomington-Normal, Nicor employees will conduct a variety of volunteer projects, including riverbank cleanup along the Fox River, health and safety presentations with community groups in Joliet and a slew of community clean-up projects around Northern Illinois.

Most importantly, the nine different community efforts were organized and created by the employees in the field, those who live in communities Nicor serves. Among the day's highlights:

-- Joliet - Volunteers will help area seniors with their exterior

spring cleaning in conjunction with the day's "Health and

Safety: From Us to You," an event co-sponsored by Senior

Services Center of Will County, the Joliet Fire Department,

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center and the Center for

Community Concerns of Will County.

-- Evanston - Employees will paint the halls and landscape the

lawn of Evanston's Family Focus, Inc.

-- Harvey - Nicor's crews will paint, clean and plant at

Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County

(CEDA) Harvey Head Start Center and E. J. Morris Childcare

Center.

-- Naperville - Nicor Gas employees will launch a food drive at

the company's general offices and spend time helping Loaves

and Fishes Community Pantry.

-- Bellwood - Volunteers will paint the halls of the Boys & Girls

Club of West Cook County.

-- Bloomington-Normal - Volunteers will help area seniors with

their exterior spring cleaning with help from W.D. Boyce Boy

Scouts of America, Providing Access to Help (P.A.T.H.) and

Kiwanis of Bloomington.

-- Rockford - Nicor employees will clean the Rock River Valley

Pantry and organize donations, an influx of which is expected

after the end of the National Association of Letter Carriers

(NALC) Food Drive on May 10.

-- Woodstock - Volunteers will beautify the grounds of the

Woodstock Christian Life Services and the Adult Child Rehab

Center.

-- Yorkville - Nicor's volunteer crew will help to clean up the

banks of the Fox River.

Community members interested in lending a hand in any of the communities may contact Laurie DeWindt at 630/983-8676, ext. 2934.

Nicor Gas is one of the nation's largest gas distribution companies. Owned by Nicor, Inc. (NYSE: GAS) a holding company, Nicor Gas has provided safe, reliable and cost-effective natural gas services for nearly 50 years. The Company serves two million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicorgas.com.