I would like to start this message with a big THANK YOU to Shawn for hosting this years Fourth of July Bonfire! It was a roaring success! We burned nearly one and a quarter MILLION unsmoked cigarettes! The final tally was 1,243,902! Much fun was had by all! It was indeed our social event of the season!
The legacy of this years edition on the bonfire will not be built around the big numbers contributed by those of us who have been here for a long time! Nor will the fire be remembered for the huge numbers we could have produced if all of our "Elders" had been able to attend! The most memorable part of this bonfire is the huge participation of the "Newbies"! Those who are just finding their voices in this community turned out in fantastic numbers! Those who are just discovering that you can live smoke free and still have fun, joined hands with us in a celebration of their new found FREEDOM!! The small numbers that they contributed are a very solid foundation for the future of our community! If I may single you out, Cookie, you put a huge smile on this wrinkled old face of mine! You were comfortable enough with us to come and contribute 7 cigarettes to the fire!! That is absolutely awesome!! Welcome to the EX community! Reach out to us if and when you need us! We will be here for you! And so many others with relatively small numbers, brought their unsmoked cigarettes and their trust in our community to the forefront! Let the more seasoned quitters amoung us vow today to be here for all who need our help in reaching the level of Freedom that we enjoy here!
Once again: Fantastic Fourth of July Bonfire! Let Freedom Ring!! And, God Bless America!!
Tommy
