Panhandle Health District

                                                             8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Date:     August 20, 2010          

Contact:                                                                        Released by: Jeanne Bock, Director

Linda Harder                                                                           

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

Program Coordinator

(208) 415-5143

Hayden- Panhandle Health District invites you to the North Idaho Fair on Wednesday and Thursday, August 25th and 26th at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.  Project Filter celebrity motocross riders Danielle Cuellar and Ed Barnowski will be signing autograph cards at the Project Filter booth. 

     Project Filter is a program aimed at eliminating tobacco-related death and disease in the state of Idaho.  “We are pleased to be working with Project Filter, Cuellar and Barnowski,” said Linda Harder, Program Coordinator at Panhandle Health District.  “This is the second year the North Idaho Fair has had a smoke free policy which supports the fundamentals of Project Filter.”

     Cuellar is the 2007 and 2009 Idaho State Women’s Champion.  She placed 3rd last year in the MX Lites class with the men.  She is 17 years old and a freshman at Boise State University.   Cuellar is excited to be sponsored by Project Filter.  She is working hard to put her Project Filter #33 Honda in front of the competition this year on the track. 

     Barnowski is the 2009 Idaho State Veteran’s Champion and is a Chief Warrant Officer in the Idaho Army National Guard.  Barnowski is an advocate for a tobacco free, healthy life style.  He enjoys helping fellow Idahoans understand the negative effects of tobacco use.  He lets them know that help is available when they are ready to quit.

     Both riders will have their bikes on display at the Project Filter booth before racing in the evening heats.  Quit tobacco resources will be available all 5 days of the fair at a booth co-hosted by Project Filter and the North Idaho Tobacco Free Coalition (NITFC).  Resources will include Idaho’s QuitLine and QuitNet materials, local quit tobacco class lists, how to access free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (such as patches, gum, and lozenges), fun give-aways, and other quit tobacco assistance programs.  The NITFC is sponsored by the Panhandle Health District.