NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2006--Today, with the help of Super Reader, Nicor launched Adventures in Reading, a new program that will enhance reading programs at northern Illinois schools and donate more than 5,000 books throughout the 2006-07 school year to approximately 1,700 area students.

The program, officially launched at Cicero West Elementary School is designed to foster a life-long love of reading among children by providing free books and motivational activities, along with professional development training for teachers and special coaching sessions for parents.

"Nicor is committed to supporting education and we are dedicated to investing in the communities where we work and live. This program allows us to help develop young minds by encouraging them to explore the wonderful world of reading. I am personally passionate about reading and believe it is one of the most important skills a child can have in today's society," said Russ Strobel, chairman, president and CEO for Nicor Inc. and Nicor Gas.

To get the children excited about the program, Nicor created a super hero character named Super Reader.

"Super Reader comes from the planet Lexicon and his lifelong goal is to help children experience the joys of reading and to show them how they too can become Super Readers," said Julian Brown, Nicor Gas corporate contributions manager.

Today, Nicor's Super Reader character will make his first flight to Earth to visit Cicero West Elementary School and assist with distributing free books and prizes to students. He will also help kick off the event by sharing his story of how he became a "super reader."
Prior to his appearance there has been a life-sized cutout of Super Reader available at the school, so the students who completed a reading score card could place their faces in the cutout and pose for pictures as Super Reader's apprentice. Cicero West Elementary School serves as an educational institution for approximately 1,200 children in kindergarten through third grade.

"We're glad that Super Reader was able to clear his busy schedule on the planet Lexicon to come to Illinois and help encourage children to read. Educational programs like Adventures in Reading help strengthen the fabric of our communities and contribute to a brighter future for our children," said Strobel.

To implement the Adventures in Reading program, Nicor is partnering with various schools throughout its service territory to support local Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) programs. The largest nonprofit literacy group in the United States, RIF has been developing and implementing programs to help encourage children to read since 1966.

Each of the schools participating in Nicor's Adventures in Reading program will host three book distributions per school year. At each distribution, students will have the opportunity to select a book of their choice. Prior to Super Reader arriving at the schools for the initial book distribution, the students are presented with a reading score card, that gets them started on the program. Once students have read a book, they review it by filling out the score card and then they submit the completed score cards for a chance to win a prize at the book distributions.

Nicor's Adventures in Reading program will distribute nearly 23,000 books over the next seven years. To learn more about Nicor's Adventures in Reading, please visit our Web site at www.nicor.com. For information on Reading Is Fundamental, visit www.rif.org.

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.

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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