This spontaneous mission accomplished with the quick help of others from all over the world.

 Please don't let fear, rejection, and pride snooker your spontaneity, if it is to help someone.

 

0-Four blessed more than before!

 

Mike Sawyer

205-515-1560

859-229-5958

 

You can see pictures of this Hoover, Alabama, mission at:

http://iwillneverusetobacco.com/hooveralabama.htm

 

 

Wednesday, Morning, December 31, 2003

• The thought to give a new bicycle to Mexicans on January 1, 2004, comes to my mind incorporated with a New Year's Resolution of quitting tobacco.
   
• I spent about three hours emailing people for a Spanish translation of
  "I want to be a winner by quitting smoking and tobacco in 2004!"

 

Wednesday, Night, December 31, 2003

• Eleven people had sent me the needed Spanish translation

1. "Para ser un triunfador voy a abandonar el hábito de fumar, y el tabaquismo en general, en el 2004!".
2. "Quiero ser un ganador dejando el tabaco y de fumar en 2004"
3. "Quiero ganar por dejar de fumar en 2004."
4. Deseo ser un ganador por pararme de fumar y usar otros productos de tabaco en 2004.
5. Quiero ser un ganador por dejando de fumar y tabaco en 2004.
6. Quiero sey un ganador dejando de fumar y dejando de usar tobacco en el 2004.
7. "Quiero ser un ganador al dejar de fumar tabaco en el ano 2004."
8. Quiero ser un campeon por dejar fumar y tabaco en 2004.
9. Yo quiero estar un ganador por quitando el fumando y el tabaco en el ano 2004.
10. "Quiero cesar de fumar y de usar tabaco en 2004 para ser un ganador!!"
11. Yo quiero ser un ganador por que' abandono fumar y tobaco en 2004.
12. "Quiero ser una ganador parando de fumar y tabquismo en el dos mil quatro"
    (Number 12 came Friday, January 2, 2004, from a CDC source)

 

Thursday morning, January 1, 2004

• I asked the gas station manager in Hoover, Alabama, "About what percentage of Mexican men that used to gather here smoked?" He answered, "I would say a high 80% or even low 90% smoke."
   
• I asked if they bought cartons of cigarettes, his reply was, "Most buy single packs."  His female clerk standing next to him added, "And most all smoke Marlboro Lights."
   
• A Birmingham pediatrician calls me on my cell phone with words of encouragement for this mission
   
• With no "Mexicans for hire" out by the street on this holiday, I decided to go home and wait until Friday morning, January 2, 2004.

 

Friday morning, January 2, 2004, about 6:30 AM.
 

• Excitement to get to the multicultural site in Hoover, Alabama woke me up.
   
• I stopped by a gas station and pumped up the bike tires.
   
• I prepared the cards for the bike & T-shirt giveaway contest drawing. I numbered them 1-50.
   
• As I drove by on Lorna Road in Hoover, Alabama, I could see about 30 Mexicans scattered on the sidewalks and gas station parking lots. 
   
• I decided to drive on down to the multicultural center to the less public location but legal (according to gas station mgr.) to give away the bicycle and Nike T-shirt with the www.IWillNeverUseTobacco.com logo.
   
• Immediately, as I drove up a Mexican with a paper notebook opened my Jeep door and asked, "How many men you need?" I got out and answered I don't need any help, I want to give away this bicycle and new Nike T-shirt.
   
• All the men young and old gathered around me, and I started giving them the business cards for the drawing, as this nice interrupter was telling them about the drawing.
   
• I asked them if they had ever lost a family member or friend from smoking, they all kind of answered no with head shakes.
   
• They all had a smirky grin about smoking.
   
• I asked a young man to draw out of my hat. He pulled out number 16 for the winner, who was Andres Aguilar an 18-year-old.
   
• I asked Andres to draw for the Nike T-shirt and he pulled out 11,
  who was Antonia Sosa a man about 38-years-old and would be consumed in this XL T-Shirt.
   
•  I thank them and told them that I loved Mexican people and respected them for their hard humble work and told them good-bye.