Fundraising season is right around the corner, but last night, there was an auction that raised $5000.00 for #CASAA. We are truly grateful to Phil Busardo and all of his hard work organizing the auction and collecting all of the items into an enormous package. In addition to the proceeds from the winning bid, Dimitris Agrafiotis (http://tnsmokefree.org/, http://www.seviausa.org/) hosted the final hours of the auction live on Facebook and raised an additional $2500.00 for CASAA in side donations. Thanks also go to Joshua Unger (Von Vape, Florida – http://www.flsmokefree.org/), who has committed to paying for shipping the auction items.
The winning bid was from Heather Hutton (Big Chief Vapor Products LLC, Louisiana – http://lavape.org/), and the lion’s share of side donations came from Amelia and Ismael Rivera (Sabor Vapors, Pennsylvania – https://www.pavape.org/). If those two states jump out at you, they should. Both Pennsylvania and Louisiana have been hit with extra taxes on vapor products in the past two years. Yet, despite the serious challenges they’ve faced in protecting their businesses and their customers’ access to #vaporproducts, these business owners have not given up. In fact, just the opposite. Heather, Amelia, and Ismael are all active members in their respective state trade associations. Thank you for your #leadership!
To everyone else who contributed during the auction, Thank You! CASAA charges no membership fees, and we rely almost entirely on free-will donations from the community (http://casaa.org/donate/). We need, and appreciate, your support so that we can continue to provide a voice for consumers and empower consumers to advocate for themselves by engaging with their elected officials.
Now, more than ever, participation from consumers is vital. Even though the recent announcement from the FDA has given the vapor industry a temporary stay of execution, specific regulatory and policy battles are on the horizon. State and local governments are being aggressively lobbied to enact laws that restrict consumer access to low-risk tobacco and nicotine products, and the PR campaigns supporting these policies are misleading smokers about their #smokefree options. Rather than claiming the FDA’s change of heart as a final victory, we need to seize the opportunity and strike while the iron is hot.
Again, THANK YOU to everyone who participated and donated during last night’s auction. Your time and energy continues to make a huge difference in the lives of smokers and their loved ones.
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