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April 23, 2009
Naperville, IL – Nicor is sponsoring the 2009 March of Dimes' March for Babies DuPage walk site. This year's DuPage 10K walk kicks off this Sunday, April 26th at 9am on the Naperville Riverwalk - 736 W. Jackson Avenue.
The 39th Annual March for Babies fundraising event is designed to raise money to study the cause of premature birth and what can be done to prevent it. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and many lifelong disabilities.
Nicor began supporting March of Dimes in 1986, with a small team of walkers who raised $8,000. Throughout the years the Nicor walk-team's participation has continued to grow. In fact, Nicor is proud to have had the largest team of walkers for 15 years. In 2008, a record-breaking year, 360 Team Nicor walkers participated and raised more than $102,000 in donations (including the company's match) to help babies be born strong and healthy.
"We are so proud of work that March of Dimes does on behalf of families and babies in Illinois. Nicor is committed to contributing to the well-being of the communities in which we work and live, and what better way to demonstrate that commitment than to sponsor an event that raises awareness about a healthy start for every baby. We hope to encourage others to come out and participate in the March for Babies DuPage walk – together we can help provide the youngest members of our communities with a chance of a health start," said Claudia Colalillo, Senior Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Communications for Nicor Inc. and Nicor Gas.
"Naperville is honored to once again have the beautiful Naperville Riverwalk chosen by March of Dimes as the kick-off site for their March for Babies fundraising walk," said Mayor A. George Pradel, City of Naperville. "To have a Naperville-based corporation such as Nicor as the main sponsor of the DuPage March for Babies walk site is an example of the commitment of our local businesses giving back to the community."
As the DuPage walk site sponsor, Nicor will have a large tent and will participate in the opening of the walk. Within the tent, to engage the younger audience, Nicor will have a face painter and balloon artist, providing colorful facial designs and unique balloon constructions. Also in attendance will be Ozzie Cougar, the Kane County Cougars baseball team mascot, to inspire and excite the crowd as Team Nicor prepares to "March for Babies."
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. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicor.com. | 
