A group of 75 cigar connoisseurs visited Santiago and Puerto Plata last month to participate in the Cigar Family Celebration Dominican Republic. The group members toured the Fuente factories and fields in Santiago. They also listened to David Luther, director of the IDDI Foundation, who provided an overview on the goals and achievements of the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation that is reaching out to assist five communities (Caribe, El Verde, Los Arroyos, Rancho Nuevo and Jengibre) with the construction and operation of a hospital, school, community center, sports court and baseball field. Last November 2003, the Fuente and Newman Cigar Company hosted the world’s largest national cigar toast at the Grand Havana Room on Fifth Avenue in NYC to see over 5,000 cigar aficionados simultaneously toast the people of the DR for the production of their world-class cigars and for having raised US$320,000 for the cigar foundation effort. The tobacco enthusiasts were accommodated at the Flamenco Playa Dorada hotel and had time to enjoy Playa Dorada beach and golf course as part of their busy schedule.