Hello once again SURGE fans and welcome to the 52nd edition of SaveSURGE News! We love SURGE and we want everyone to know.

Sightings Report
There were a whopping 10 new SURGE Sightings added since the last edition of SaveSURGE News! They are in: CA (3), CT (2), NC (3) and OK (2).

Sadly, there were 5 deletions in: CA, FL, PA & TN (2). Still, we had a very good week!

Currently, there are 179 SURGE Sightings listed. Thanks to all of you who are on the lookout for SURGE wherever you go.

Also of note, we have come up with a brand new way for you to report a SURGE Sighting. There is now a Report a Sighting link under the SURGE Sightings menu at the top of every page (the SURGE Sightings menu now opens up when you place your mouse over it, just like our About, How You Can Help & Features menus currently do). We're hoping that the form helps bring more detailed descriptions of each new Sighting (including a street address, phone number, etc.).

SaveSURGE.org in Beverage World Magazine
As we announced in the last edition of SaveSURGE News, SaveSURGE.org is featured in the June 2003 Beverage World Magazine which is now on sale (you can read a copy of the article by clicking here). The article includes a plethora of info about SaveSURGE.org and our fight to bring back the soda we love. Just as important, Beverage World is subscribed to by beverage executives all over the world, including those at Coca-Cola. The people who make decisions on whether or not SURGE is produced will be reading the article and visiting our website.

Do we need to make any changes to the site because of this? Absolutely not. We are what we are, and that is the most dedicated group of beverage fans this planet has ever seen. The passion and intellect of SURGE fans shines through on the site every single day. If we all continue to work hard and show that we won't rest until SURGE is brought back, Coca-Cola and its bottlers will respond. Keep up the great work everyone!

URGE in the USA Update
Our friends over at Real Soda (http://www.realsoda.com) are in the process of trying to make contacts over in Norway so that they can possibly import SURGE's Norwegian cousin, URGE, to the USA! This is an ongoing process that may take some time and we ask for your patience.

However, it's still very important to let Real Soda know that we want our URGE. If you haven't previously logged on to their message board, please visit and post your request for URGE today at:
http://www.realsoda.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=26

Candidate Casts a Vote for SURGE
A very unexpected and pleasant surprise found its way into the SaveSURGE.org e-mail box this past week when we received a glowing endorsement from a political candidate from the great state of Missouri! Mr. Grant Warren is a Libertarian who ran for State Representative in the 148th District in the 2002 election. He wrote in to pledge his support for both SURGE and SaveSURGE.org.

While Mr. Warren did not come out on top in 2002, he does plan to run again. He says of his future campaign, "I will be running again next time and would LOVE to be seen drinking a can...or even a 20 oz. bottle of Surge during the campaign. Surge means energy to me and that's just what I want."

We at SaveSURGE.org don't know exactly where Mr. Warren stands on the issues, but can anyone who loves SURGE be a bad guy? Thank you for the endorsement and best of luck, Mr. Warren, we need more people like you in office!

Timb's Thoughts on LiveWire
SaveSURGE.org Hall of Famer Timb the Enchanter recently wrote in with his opinion on Mountain Dew LiveWire (and Pepsi's marketing strategy):

"I think this stuff tastes all too similar to SURGE. Its not exactly the same, in fact I would pin it as sweeter (a bit too sweet) and definitely more carbonated, and of course, it would need to be green, but I promise the reason that Mt. Dew has put this drink out is because of SaveSURGE.org and all of the insanity that has surrounded us and Coca-cola.

Live Wire... even the name is similar in theme to SURGE. This is no coincidence. I promise you that after the summer is up, there will be a massive lobbying to the Pepsi corporation to bring this drink back from retirement. Pepsi will tease us for awhile and then finally give in to our wishes (unlike Coke) and become heroes to everyone.

I am already shamefully addicted to this drink as it's the closest thing I've had to SURGE since the last time I actually had a SURGE, and I think this is basically a good drink."

Timb makes a very valid point about Pepsi's motive for making LiveWire available only in the summer of 2003. They get us hooked, they take it away, fans start to cry out…Sound familiar, anyone?

Maggie's Save SURGE Site
We at SaveSURGE.org were honored this week when Maggie wrote in with the URL of her new Save SURGE website (located at: http://www.expage.com/savesurge). It's dedicated to SURGE and she urges everyone who visits her site to also visit ours and sign the petition created by Hall of Famer Timb.

We encourage every SURGE fan to take a look at Maggie's site and sign her guestbook. Thanks Maggie!

Letter Archive Now Available
Are you looking to write a letter to your local Coca-Cola bottler, but not sure of what to say? Then check out SaveSURGE.org's brand new Letter Archive, located under the How You Can Help menu at the top of every page. It's home to some of the best letters written to Coca-Cola and its bottlers, by SURGE fans like you. A special shout-out goes to Shepard Ritzen, SaveSURGE.org Hall of Famer, who suggested this new section and contributed a very powerful letter as well.

If you have written a letter to Coca-Cola or one of its bottlers and would like it to be archived, please e-mail it to us at: surge@savesurge.org or post it on our Bulletin Board topic (http://www.karks.com/surge/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25).

Are You a Hall of Famer?
Just a reminder that the deadline for nominations to The SaveSURGE.org Hall of Fame is Monday, June 30, 2003. Do you have what it takes to be a member of the Hall? Submit yourself or a friend and find out!

There will only be two dedicated SURGE fans chosen to join current inductees Timb the Enchanter and Shepard Ritzen on 8/31/03. Your next chance to be enshrined won't be until February, 2004 so you'd better hurry!

Visor added to SaveSURGE.org Store
Summer's here and we know you want to look your best. That's why we at SaveSURGE.org have created a visor that puts all other visors to shame! Check it out in the SaveSURGE.org Store.

Poll Results - Too Much to Remember
The latest SURGE poll asked you: When SURGE was available nationally, how many cans or 20oz. bottles did you drink per day?

30% - More than I can count!
16.6% - 3 or more cans
15% - 1 can
12.5% - 1 bottle
12.5% - 2 cans
7.5% - 3 or more bottles
5.8% - 2 bottles

Total Votes: 120

It seems the majority of voters were, and still are, quite addicted to that wonderful citrus taste! I myself drank at least 2 cans per day back in SURGE's heyday. I always found it to be a welcomed addition to my work day. It's just not the same without that daily fix.

That's all the time we have for this week. A great big thank you goes out to each and every one of you! You make SaveSURGE.org what it is.

Sincerely,

Eric Karkovack
Co-Webmaster
www.savesurge.org