April 2, 2009

WAYNESBORO, Va. – In a new twist to an old-fashioned barn-raising, Dominion Virginia Power volunteers joined forces today with Trout Unlimited members, employees from the City of Waynesboro and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to build an outdoor education pavilion in Constitution Park along the South River.

Volunteers secured by safety harnesses worked steadily to put the roof on the 24- by 36-foot structure. Workers on the ground sawed boards, and others passed the lumber to the team on the roof. At the same time, other volunteers planted trees donated by Waynesboro Nurseries and mulched with materials provided by Waynesboro Landscape and Garden Center.

The pavilion will become the gateway for Waynesboro’s planned riverfront greenway and will serve as a site for conservation, education and community recreation activities.

“Our volunteers enjoy helping their communities,” said William C. Hall Jr., Dominion vice president – Corporate Communications & Community Affairs. “The pavilion is an ideal project. It benefits the city of Waynesboro and its residents. This project will also help the environment by serving as a learning center for children.”

Dominion’s philanthropic arm, The Dominion Foundation, provided a $25,000 grant to the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited to fund the pavilion at the city park.

Waynesboro City Manager Mike Hamp applauded the effort, saying: "The city appreciates the efforts of Trout Unlimited members and Dominion employees in this venture, and we are particularly grateful for Dominion's generous contribution. We feel confident that this will bolster our effort to promote fly fishing in Waynesboro and hope that we can raise awareness of the environmental importance of the South River."

About 35 people turned out to work on the project. The goal was to have the shelter completed before the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival in Constitution Park on April 18 and 19.

John Ross, chairman of the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited, said, “The South River is a terrific outdoor laboratory for studying the ecology of streams. The addition of the pavilion provides a great spot to conduct classes for children and adults.”

Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion, one of the nation's largest producers of energy with a portfolio of more than 27,000 megawatts of generation. Dominion serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.

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