WHAT:  The 30-foot-high shovel,  debuted last week in recognition of National 811 Day, will be on display at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles to bring public attention to the importance of calling 811 to have utility lines marked before any home or commercial digging project.

Visitors to Pershing Square who take a photo with the giant shovel, post it on social media with the tags @socalgas and #BeSafe, will be entered into a sweepstakes to win an iPad.  Sweepstakes details are available at www.socalgas.com/besafe.

The Pershing Square event is the second stop in a campaign this month to raise awareness of importance of Calling 811 to have utilities marked before digging. The giant shovel will also be on display at the Wings Over Camarillo Air Show on August 19th and 20th, and the Anaheim Home & Garden Show August 25th through 27^th.

BACKGROUND:  811 is the national phone number designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that connects professionals and homeowners who plan to dig with a local call center. The call center collects information about the planned dig site then communicates with the appropriate utility companies, which send professional utility locating technicians to identify and mark the approximate location of lines.

WHEN:  Wednesday, August 16, 2017 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHO:   --SoCalGas staff will be available for interviews.

--KRCD-FM Disk Jockey Ely Venegas will broadcast live from the event.                       

WHERE:  Pershing Square, 6^th Street and Olive Street in Downtown Los Angeles