Gold's Gym Oct. 30

On October 30, Smokefree Boise volunteers woke up bright and early to spread the word about Smokefree Boise and collect signatures at the Parkcenter Gold's Gym location. The trainers at the gym were full of the Halloween spirit as they helped encourage gym members to sign the petition. By the time the day was over we collected 280 new signatures and had many great opportunities to talk to people about the dangers of secondhand smoke and the importance to have smoking removed from all indoor public work places. Thank you Gold's Gym for supporting our cause!

GREAT day at the fair!

Coalition partners and volunteers with Smokefree Boise battled the heat Monday to collect petition signatures at the Western Idaho Fair. By the end of the day, we had found 604 new supporters and talked to hundreds more people about the importance of smokefree workplaces. Thanks to everyone who sacrificed time to help us out! And thanks to Professional Bull Riders Wyatt and Wilie for supporting tobacco-free efforts in our state!

Out with the Old

Well, the time has come for this Organizer to move on. The contract funding my position expires on August 20th so I will be moving into full-time job hunting, though I certainly plan to remain a Smokefree Boise volunteer as long as I can stay in Boise. It has been a great campaign -- I've met great new people, we've seen many bars voluntarily go smokefree since we began, and people are beginning to recognize our logo and cause as we meet them on the street. All in all, Smokefree Boise is on a great path to success, and I will join other volunteers to follow it through so we can improve the health of all Boise workers.

Thanks so much for everyone's support! -Katie

Grainey's Smokefree Celebration -- on the News!

Last night's Happy Hour at Tom Grainey's to celebrate its new smokefree policy drew some great media attention. Channels 2 and 7 both covered the event. To check out what Channel 2 had to say and to vote on the poll for smokefree bars, go to http://www.2news.tv/news/26040389.html.

Thanks to Red Sky Media, here's the video of our stories on both Channels 2 and 7:

"Need to Breathe" Plays at AA5

Tonight's Alive After Five band couldn't be more fitting for Smokefree Boise: Need to Breathe. Bar employees, entertainers, bouncers, and patrons often feel the Need to Breathe as they work their shifts, play their gigs, or enjoy a night out in secondhand smoke filled environments.

Bring your friends down to Alive After Five tonight and share the Need to Breathe by visiting the Idaho Business Review tent where we will have petitions to sign to create more smokefree environments in Boise. And you can pick up the latest copy of the paper which includes a GREAT article about our efforts... check it out at: http://www.idahobusiness.net/archive.htm/2008/07/21/Smokefree-movement-tackles-bars--Publishers-Notes

Volunteers Speak to Mayor Bieter at Mayor's Office Hours Saturday

Saturday, a group of Smokefree Boise volunteers visited with Mayor Bieter about our hopes for smokefree workplaces. The Mayor listened to us intently, took notes, gave us some great ideas, and overall, the meeting was a success. Smokefree environments are just one way we can make Boise an even more desireable place to live and work, and ratifying comprehensive smokefree policies here will keep us up to speed with competing cities, like Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake, and even Missoula.

Thank you to Linda, Jacki, Loren, Jennifer, Tom, and Chryssa for taking time out of your Saturday to tell the Mayor why you believe in Smokefree Boise!

Online Petition, keep the mercury rising!

A week and a half ago, Smokefree Boise launched its online petition, and already, we have almost 350 signatures! You can sign the petition at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/smokefreeboise... and so can your friends, so pass the link along.

[The best feature is a little thermometer graphic showing the mercury rise as we get closer to our goal of 5,000 signatures.]

Main Street Mile: 109 signatures in 4 hours!

What a crowd! Main Street Mile on June 27th proved to be our most successful event yet with 109 petition signatures gathered by a mere two volunteers in about 4 hours -- and both of us ran a mile at the event too! Thanks goes out to the many supporters there.

Congratulations to Tom Lloyd, chair of Young Professionals for Smokefree Boise, who came in 8th place in the Men's Competitive Mile with a near 5 minute mile. As I discovered, I am twice as slow as Tom. Hey, at least I gave it my best -- I just left lots of room to improve next year.

In case you couldn't make it, be sure to sign our online petition at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/smokefreeboise .

Smokefree Boise at Pride

On June 14th, Smokefree Boise collected petition signatures at Pride, and we were met by a great crowd. 169 signatures later, we called it a day -- and a good one, at that. Among those signatures, at least 35 were smokers. Some of the comments we heard from smokers who signed were "It's my nasty habit, I'll take it outside" and "I've been trying to quit, and it's not easy to be in a smoky bar without wanting to smoke." THANK YOU to Boise Pride for letting us set up there.

Smokefree Boise at Sawtooth Relay

On June 14th and 15th, runners from around the region gathered in central Idaho for the challenging Sawtooth Relay, and among them were a group of runners sporting Smokefree Boise shirts: the Smokefree Boise Team. Congratulations is due to our team for completing the rigorous 61 mile course -- and having enough energy left over to collect a few petition signatures!

Tom Lloyd, chair of Young Professionals for Smokefree Boise and leader of Sawtooth Relay team, commented:

"Because I am an avid runner, outdoorsman, and general athlete, healthy lungs are a vital part of so much that I enjoy in life. The idea is very attractive that I will be able to have a happy hour, attend a concert, or otherwise generally experience the great social scene in Boise without suffering the negative consequences of inhaling detrimental amounts of smoke."