Ybor City Donates Cigars to Troops Overseas

You have probably heard of programs that send care packages including food, clothes, entertainment, and more to troops overseas. While those are certainly great items to donate, some volunteers in Ybor City, Florida, recently put a little twist on the whole care package idea by sending troops some good old fashioned stogies.

Ybor City has quite a history when it comes to the tobacco and cigar industry, so it’s no surprise that its volunteers would come up with such an idea. According to the Tampa Tribune, Robert Alorda, founder of Ybor City Cigars for Soldiers, was smoking a cigar last year when he and other volunteers were sharing thoughts on what to send. Cookies were suggested, until Alorda recommended cigars thanks to the reminder from the one he was smoking. Ybor City Cigars for Soldiers was soon launched, and the program was successful in collecting 1,800 cigars for donation in its first year.

This year’s donations totaled approximately 2,000 cigars, which were packaged by volunteers last Tuesday and are set to ship to service members in Afghanistan and Iraq. Each plastic bag contains three cigars plus a note on the Cigars for Soldiers program as a nice finishing touch.

Alorda knows what it is like to receive items from home while overseas, as he served in Vietnam and Korea with the U.S. Army. Now 72 years old, Alorda still remembers receiving cigars from his family. “When I was overseas and I got something from home, I enjoyed the hell out of it,” Alorda said.

Gilda McKinnon, a volunteer who worked for the Department of Defense, added: “It means a touch of back home. Someone is thinking about them, appreciating what they are doing. They appreciate it because it's something they can't get there. It's something they can't buy. It's just special.”

Event: 14th Annual Habanos Festival

The 14th Annual Habanos Festival (aka Festival del Habano) will kick off next month in Havana, Cuba, so if you had plans on attending, now is the time to act. The event, which will run from February 27th to March 2nd, is expected to host participants from over 60 different countries, and is being described as the “largest international gathering of enthusiasts of the best cigar in the world: the Habano.”

Habanos’ Cohiba and Romeo Julieta brands will reportedly receive special attention during the five-day event. Those lucky enough to attend will get an exclusive peek at some of Habanos’ new releases for 2012, along with a behind the scenes look at what goes into making a Habano. Several informational sessions make up the itinerary, including trips to tobacco plantations and factories, a class on cigar rolling, blind tasting, as well as a session on cigar pairings.

Beyond the cigar-themed events and informational sessions, this year’s Habanos Festival will be filled with social events. A concert will be part of the Welcome Evening’s festivities on February 27th , and a special dinner will be held on the 29th to celebrate the European discovery of tobacco in Cuba 520 years ago. Capping off the festival will be the Gala Dinner and Traditional Humidor Auction on March 2nd.

Habanos S.A. officially opened up online registration for the festival earlier this month. For more information on how to register, visit the company’s official website, www.habanos.com.