Coal Miner Wins $25,000 Prize for Wellness Screening Participation

Paul Shortridge, an underground coal miner at Brooks Run Mining Co.s Cucumber, W. Va. mine, was presented with a $25,000 gift as a result of his participation in a wellness screening program. At a surprise ceremony at the mine, Shortridge was presented with the prize by Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR). Brooks Run is an Alpha subsidiary company.

In making the presentation, Crutchfield said, We initiated the AlphaZone Wellness Program in 2006 throughout all our affiliated companies to help employees get and stay healthy through annual screenings. The first step in illness prevention is detection of risk factors for a wide range of medical conditions. With these health screening results, an employee can work with his or her physician to address identified health issues before they become potentially dangerous problems.

To encourage participation, the program offered prizes for participation, including the grand prize of $25,000, which was awarded on the basis of a drawing. All employees participating in AlphaZone were eligible for the grand prize. This year, 2,346 employees were screened. The participation rate in Brooks Run Mining Co. was over 97 percent.

Shortridge, 46, has been a roof bolter at the Cucumber mine for more than three years. After being identified as the grand prize winner, he said, I was really surprised to win $25,000 for participating in a program that I really believe in. I did the program before and I expect to continue to do the screenings when they are offered. I hope that another miner gets to win a big prize in the future. I dont know what I will buy, but I look forward to figuring it out.

The wellness screenings are conducted by an independent health care firm that provides the confidential test results only to the individual participant. Participation in the program has grown steadily each year, and this year the program was opened up to employees spouses.

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