Founded by the Fuente and Newman families and our Cigar Family members in 2001, the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation has created a 23-acre project serving the 29 impoverished, rural communities in the Dominican Republic’s renowned tobacco-growing region.  Included are primary and high schools serving 490 students, medical center, community center, sports and recreation facilities, and organic farm and fishery.  The Fuente and Newman families underwrite all administrative costs so that 100% of all donations directly help those in need. 

Education

    Although our Cigar Family Primary and High Schools are on summer recess, learning has not stopped.  This summer, we are holding the fourth annual Cigar Family Summer Camp for children from the communities surrounding the Cigar Family Community Project.

    We have begun the registration process for our next school year and the interest in our schools keeps growing.  Leaders of the community of Sabana Del Puerto recently visited the Project to ask us to enroll their students.

    Members of the prominent Vicini family, who are one of the largest sugar producers in the Caribbean, toured our Project because they want to build a similar complex in the community of Pedro of Macorís.  Because of the success of the Cigar Family Community Project, several other prominent Dominican families have expressed interest in modeling our Project elsewhere in the country.

Health Center

    The Cigar Family Health Center treated 327 patients during June 2008 and a dentist saw 82 patients.  Recently, our staff physician, Dr. Silvia Sanchez del Campo, received training in sports medicine, which will help her treat our students.

    After four years of work, we have successfully cured our students and their families of malnutrition.  We are thrilled that the communities in our region are now free of malnutrition.

Community Development

    We recently inspected several dozen in-home water filters provided to residents in the communities of Hato Viejo, Rancho Nuevo, and Caribe.  We made sure that the systems were working and that the filters did not need replacing.

    Representatives from the Project helped select the queen of Las Fiestas Patronales San Pedro Apóstol 2008 for Caribe.  During this celebration, our staff made a presentation to the members of the communities surrounding our Project explaining everything that had been accomplished in the past year.  Residents said that they were very satisfied, pleased, and proud of the project due to the discipline, education, and services provided.

    In the summer months, we have been showing a variety of films in the communities surrounding the project.
      
    We assisted more than 80 families in the community of La Vega with registering with the Dominican Office of Social Security in order to receive social support.



Sports and Recreation

    Our Cigar Family basketball team won the Las Fiestas Patronales de Caribe tournament, defeating 10 other teams from the Bonao region.

    The Cigar Family baseball team continues to have a very successful summer.  In a very close championship game that lasted 14 innings, our team won the Las Fiestas Patronales de Caribe tournament.  Four members of our Cigar Family team were selected to compete in an upcoming  national all-star tournament.

    More children have joined our martial arts program, established and led by Cigar Family member, Mr. Kaju.  During the Las Fiestas Patronales de Caribe celebration, our students gave a karate demonstration before a crowd of 1,500 people.

    Local domino qualifying tournaments continue to be held in Caño Piedra and Sabana del Puerto to select the community members who will compete in the Cigar Family 2008 Summer Tournament.
 

 
Agriculture and Aquaculture

    Our corn crop is growing very well in our organic farm and we expect a record harvest soon.  We are also investigating the possibility of using greenhouses to begin producing eggs.

Community Feedback

    One community member recently shared his unsolicited thoughts about the Cigar Family Community Project with us.  Translated into English, he said:

"This Project is a blessing of God for the Communities because it's the best Education of the province, we are recognized in the this country and in many countries around the world, we have achieved triumph in Sport, in Education and in Artistic Presentations that we never expected.  After I arrived at the Project I noticed the discipline, another custom more moderate for the people, no longer the usual disputes between communities are seen and the peoples can visit the communities with security and without risks." 

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    For more information about the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, please visit www.CigarFamilyChartiableFoundation.org or call 813-248-2124.