Dominion East Ohio Honors Cleveland Native As Volunteer Of The Year

April 9, 2002

CLEVELAND, OH -- Representing the best in volunteerism and commitment to his community, Cleveland native and current North Olmsted resident Edward Gerber, will be honored as one of Dominion’s Volunteers of the Year for 2001.

Gerber is one of 12 employees and retirees being recognized as “Hometown Heroes”—the theme for the company’s 2001 volunteer recognition program. He and others will be honored at Dominion’s annual awards ceremony today in Akron.

As a retired Gas Control Supervisor for East Ohio, Edward Gerber now spends nearly 750 hours each year repairing and restoring the Steamship WILLIAM G. MATHER, a retired Great Lakes bulk freighter that now serves as a floating museum in downtown Cleveland. The MATHER sailed from 1925 to 1980, transporting bulk quantities of iron ore, coal, grain and stone throughout the five Great Lakes. Gerber now takes an active role in maintaining the freighter and keeping it safe, functional and attractive to the public.

It’s been said that the only thing that separates a man from a boy are the size of his toys. When you ask Gerber what drives him to be a volunteer, it’s simple: “I like playing with my toys,” Gerber said. In this case, it’s a freighter that’s as long as two football fields and three stories high. His favorite room on board? “The engine room,” Gerber says excitedly. “But I like the people the best, especially working alongside my son, Ken, who also volunteers his time on the freighter,” he added.

For being selected as a “Volunteer of the Year,” the Dominion Foundation will make a $1,000 donation to the S. S. William G. Mather Museum, Harbor Heritage Society.

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with a production capability of more than 3 trillion British thermal units of energy per day. Dominion serves nearly 4 million retail natural gas and electric customers in five states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company’s Web site at www.dom.com.

 

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  Tracy Oliver, (216) 736-6219
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