Cigar Weekly

This Friday, the cigar industry will join together at the J.C. Newman cigar factory in Tampa's Ybor City to meet and educate the Republican Leadership in the Florida Legislature as part of the Florida Cigar Summit. 

This event is organized by the Cigar Association of America, International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, and Cigar Rights of America.  We encourage you to join us by becoming a member of the CRA, contacting your local and state leaders, and taking action to protect your right to enjoy a fine cigar.

   The Florida Cigar Summit is organized by the Cigar Association of America, International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, and Cigar Rights of America.  

   The Summit is sponsored by: Corona Cigar Company, J.C. Newman, Rocky Patel, Perdomo, Thompson, Arturo Fuente, Camacho, CAO, Drew Estate, Oliva Tobacco, Alec Bradley, Casa Fernandez, EP Carillo, Felipe Gregorio, Flor de Gonzalez, Graycliff, La Flor Dominicana, Maderos, Padron, Torano, Xikar, Plasencia Tobacco, Ghurka, Miami Cigar, Oliva Cigar, Puros Indios, Mike's Cigars, Ashton, and House of Oxford.

Education
      Last year, we celebrated the Cigar Family High School’s first graduation.  Many graduates received scholarships to attend college in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo.  Our Project staff visited them last month to check on them and ensure that they continued to be supported.
 
      Alejandro Martinez, an English teacher and director of vocational classes was honored with a Provincial Youth Award for the region. Student Maria Fernanda Veras Santos received an Honorable Mention in the national “Paint Your Christmas” contest.
 
      Last month, we began a series of math workshops for our 8th grade students to prepare them for the upcoming national standardized tests.
 
      At the end of January, we celebrated Duartiana Week, which recognizes the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. Students from all grades attended an assembly honoring Dominican Patriarch Juan Pablo Duarte’s birthday with the participation of the students of all grades in the Amphitheater.  Activities included historical interpretations, drama, and poetry.

Community Health Center
      Last month, the Cigar Family Health Center treated 205 cases including 5 home visits to patients who were too sick to travel to our clinic.  Clinicians are working with our schools’ administration to update student health records.

Community Development Programs
      Project staff members are working to address a water shortage problem in the nearby community of Caribe.  We organized a team to clean and repair water pipes and hardware and have been advocating on behalf of the residents to the regional government about the urgency of restoring a consistent flow of clean water to the area.
 
      We worked with a local company to repair and improve streets, alleys, and ditches in the neighboring communities of Caribe and Los Arroyos.
 
      CFCF joined our Peace Corps member in convening a meeting of local adult women to begin the process of teaching them how to establish and run their own small, local businesses.  Over the next three months, we will be teaching them basic business skills and personal finance and will be developing a microloan program to support their efforts.

Athletics
      Our Cigar Family sports teams continue to be very successful.  Our basketball and baseball teams were victorious last month in the regional Lyceum Bienvenido Del Castillo tournament.    They also defeated teams from the community of Juma and participated in contests at the Bonao Educational

Agriculture and Aquaculture
      We continue to grow an array of fresh fruits and vegetables on our organic farm.  Last month, we harvested corn and yuca, which was served in school meals for our students.