VNG Employees Take Plunge for Special Olympics

February 4, 2005

WHAT:  When some 30 Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) employees run into the frigid Atlantic Ocean this Saturday, February 5, 2005 to raise money for the Special Olympics, they will do it for one of their own: Gavin Hall. The six-year-old son of Chris Hall, VNG utility mechanic, has Down Syndrome. Chris Hall and Don Whitelaw, VNG construction coordinator, are co-chairing this year’s 13th Annual Polar Plunge Winter Festival. They have experience. After a stint on the festival committee in 2002, Whitelaw chaired the event in 2003. Hall chaired it in 2004.

“The support we have from the community – from people who volunteer, to the plungers who raise money by jumping in the icy-cold Atlantic – is tremendous,” Hall said. “Every year the festival gets bigger and better. We want to thank everyone for their participation. It’s a great event for our community and for the Special Olympics.”

Since 2002, more than 200 VNG employees and their families and friends have volunteered to help with the Polar Plunge. The VNG team has contributed thousands of volunteer hours and raised some $49,000 to benefit Special Olympics. Last year was their biggest year to date, when the VNG Team raised more than $20,000. This year, Paula Reynolds, president, chairman and CEO of AGL Resources, has offered to personally match contributions up to $1,500. ALG Resources is the Atlanta-based parent company of VNG.

Hank Linginfelter, VNG President , is a great fundraiser for the event and one of the lead plungers. “I am really looking forward on Saturday afternoon to helping raise money again for the Special Olympics,” he said. “The cold waters of the Atlantic are another matter.”

Began in 1992 as an activity for the Adventure Club of Virginia Beach, the Plunge has evolved into a communitywide fund-raising event that has collected more than $1.5 million for the Special Olympics in Virginia. More than 11.000 people have taken the plunge since the festival began.

The Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

WHEN:  Saturday, February 5, 2005
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The festival area opens at 10 a.m.
The plunge is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

WHO:  VNG Plungers:
Chris Hall, festival co-chair, utility mechanic
Don Whitelaw, festival co-chair construction coordinator
Janet Mansfield, festival company team captain, financial analyst
Hank Linginfelter, president
Jose Simon, director, public affairs
Nancy Smith, communications specialist
24 other employees

WHERE:  Atlantic Ocean beach between 6th and 9th Streets, Virginia Beach, VA