NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2006--More than 1,000 Nicor employees, families and friends will celebrate a decade of volunteerism during the company's 10th Anniversary of Volunteer Day on Saturday, May 20th by completing 23 community service projects in 20 communities. Projects will range from sorting food at local pantries to cleaning yards and planting flowers at senior citizens' homes.

"Nicor's Volunteer Day embodies the spirit of giving back to the communities we serve and we are proud to be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Over the past ten years, because of our employees' dedication and community pride, the commitment to volunteerism has grown at Nicor. This anniversary celebration is a tribute to Nicor's mission statement of contributing to the well-being of our communities and the hope that our pledge to volunteerism continues to inspire others to make the same commitment, said Russ Strobel, President, CEO and Chairman for Nicor Inc. and Nicor Gas.

Nicor volunteers will span across 20 northern Illinois communities. In Riverdale, Nicor volunteers will join forces with Mayor Zenovia Evan and other community members to help revitalize an entire block of homes in this South Suburban neighborhood. "The Village of Riverdale is delighted to be a part of Nicor's annual Volunteer Day," said Zenovia Evans, mayor of Riverdale. "Volunteers are vital to our future as a caring and productive Village, and we appreciate Nicor volunteers working in our community and giving of their time, energies and talents to make a real difference in the lives of children, adults and the elderly."

Volunteer Day at Nicor is an annual celebration of the company's year-round commitment to communities. The company contributed more than $1.7 million to philanthropic efforts throughout Northern Illinois in 2005, and Nicor employees contributed financially, but also donated their time to worthy causes throughout the year.

Volunteers will complete projects in the following communities:

Aurora - More than 100 volunteers will sort and organize food donations at Loaves and Fishes on 2707 North Eola Road.

Batavia - Volunteers will help clean up the Fox River clean up, on Route 25 by Clark Island and Skate Park

Bloomington - Outdoor maintenance is on the volunteers' agenda, at various senior citizen homes on Wood Street located near Miller Park.

Brookfield - Volunteer will tame vegetation by removing unwanted plants from the zoo grounds and construct behavior enrichment objects for animals at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road.

Capron - Sorting, organizing and packaging food donations will keep volunteers busy at Boone County Food Pantry, 200 South Fifth Street.

Cicero - The Arthur E. Mac Quilkin Boy & Girls Club will be revitalized as volunteers brush on fresh coats of paint at 5500 W. 25th Street.

DeKalb - Volunteers will sort and organize food donations at the Salvation Army Food Pantry located at 830 Grove Street.

Joliet - At the Victory Center in Joliet, volunteers will be busy installing energy efficiency kits, planting flowers, assisting with bingo, located at 29-31 N. Broadway.

Kankakee - Its outdoor fun for Kankakee volunteers, mulching, gardening and other activities will take place at several senior citizens homes at various locations.

Lisle - Volunteers will spring into action to remove unwanted vegetation at the Morton Arboretum, located at 4100 Illinois Route 53.

Mt. Prospect - The Greater Wheeling Area Youth Center will benefit from volunteers brushing on fresh coats of paint, located on 550 East Business Center Drive.

Naperville - Volunteers will perform a variety of tasks in Naperville including spring clean-up, building maintenance, gardening and other grounds keeping duties at DuPage Children's Museum, 301 N. Washington Street Conservation Foundation's McDonald Farm, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road and Senior Home Sharing, 214 N. Eagle Street.

Palos Heights - At Lake Katherine volunteers will dive in to complete clean up projects located at 7402 Lake Katherine Drive.

Riverdale - Volunteers will be spread out along an entire block in Riverdale to conduct Outdoor maintenance and energy improvements at several homes on 13700 School Street.

Rockford - Volunteers will sort, organize and pack food donations at Rock River Valley Food Pantry, 1080 Short Elm Street.

Sycamore - Volunteer will give back to the Pay It Forward House by conducting building maintenance and outdoor cleanup, located at 719 Somonauk Street.

Woodridge - Volunteers help prevent hunger, by sorting food donations at the Woodridge Food Panty, 6809 Hobson Valley Drive, Suite 118.

Woodstock - There are two projects in Woodstock, where volunteers will do gardening and landscaping at the Hearthstone Manor, 920 N. Seminary Avenue and the Adult and Child Rehab Center, 708 Washington Street.

Worth - Volunteers drive spring cleaning and flower planting efforts on main streets in Worth, from 111th to 115th Harlem, from Harlem to Ridgeland Road.

Yorkville - Volunteers will help clean up at the Fox River Park and Recreation Center, located at 301 E. Hydraulic Drive.

Nicor Inc. (NYSE:GAS) is a holding company and is a member of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. Its principal businesses are Nicor Gas, one of the nation's largest natural gas distribution companies, and Tropical Shipping, a containerized shipping business serving the Caribbean region and the Bahamas. Nicor also owns and has an equity interest in several energy-related businesses. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicor.com.

Nicor Gas is one of the largest gas distribution companies in the nation and has provided safe, reliable and cost-effective natural gas service for more than 50 years. Nicor serves more than two million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of Northern Illinois, excluding the City of Chicago. For more information on Nicor Gas, visit www.nicorgas.com.

Copyright Business Wire 2006

NICOR Inc.

NICOR Inc.

Nicor Inc. (NYSE: GAS) is a holding company and is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Its primary business is Nicor Gas, one of the nation's largest natural gas distribution companies. Nicor owns Tropical Shipping, a containerized shipping business serving the Caribbean region and the Bahamas. In addition, the company owns and has an equity interest in several energy-related businesses.

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