Lincolnwood Man Is Finalist in PETA’s ‘Sexiest Vegan Over 50’ Contest

Fans Can Help PETA Decide on Winners by Voting for Their Favorite Meat-Free Man and Woman on PETA Prime’s Website

For Immediate Release:
October 8, 2014

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

It’s no secret where sexy celebrities Ellen DeGeneres, Samuel L. Jackson, and James Cromwell get their energy—they all attribute it to going vegan! And it’s their example that inspired PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—to mount its annual Sexiest Vegan Over 50 contest. This year, PETA has narrowed the field down to seven men and seven women—and 76-year-old Lincolnwood resident Buzz Alpert is among the finalists. The contest is sponsored by PETA Prime—a resource for baby boomers who want to live a healthy, humane, and rewarding life.

“While many baby boomers have had to reach for pills to fight high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and impotence, older vegans tend to be slim, healthy, and energetic,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “One look at PETA’s finalists makes it clear that the only thing sexier than being passionate is being compassionate.”

Alpert, who served in the Marines after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1960, stopped eating red meat in his 20s and went vegan at age 47. He still has the six-pack that he earned in the Marine Corps, and his doctor is quick to credit his eating habits with giving him his exceptional good health. “He thinks I’ll live to be 100,” Alpert says. “We shall see.” His passion is helping wildlife, especially birds, and he has the scars to prove it—while humanely relocating pigeons from a bus station, he fell 20 feet from the ceiling. His parachute-jumping experience helped him survive the fall with no injuries worse than a severely dislocated wrist, which still required four stainless-steel pins and a year of therapy.

Visitors to PETAPrime.org can see photos of all 14 finalists and cast their votes through October 19. Two winners (one male and one female) will be announced on October 22. PETA will select winners based on several factors, including vote count, and each winner will receive a three-night stay for two at beautiful Guatemalan eco-resort Laguna Lodge, a PETA photo shoot in Los Angeles, and a selection of goodies from the PETA Catalog. See full contest details here.

For more information, please visit PETAPrime.org.