St. Louis–Area Teen May Be the ‘Coolest Vegan Alive’
peta2’s Contest Seeks Two Special Young Animal Advocates for Trophies, National Spotlight
For Immediate Release:
July 21, 2015
Contact:
Catie Cryar 202-483-7382
The first-ever Coolest Vegan Alive contest is underway—courtesy of peta2, PETA’s youth division—and 16-year-old Chesterfield resident Sage Vermont could take home top honors. The high school junior beat out entrants from across the country to be named one of 12 finalists, and voters will now help peta2 decide which two finalists it should select for the top prize—which includes a personalized Web feature, a prize pack containing cruelty-free goodies, and a Coolest Vegan Alive trophy.
Sage stopped eating animals at just 4 years old after watching his mother bake a turkey—realizing for the first time who was on his plate. He went vegan in fifth grade after learning about the suffering that animals endure in the egg and dairy industries for a school report and never looked back. Sage—who also advocates for LGBTQ issues as a trans activist—took a stand against dissection in class, refusing to dissect a fetal pig, and he’s always quick to encourage his friends and family to avoid SeaWorld and all circuses that still force animals to perform.
“Whether he’s protesting SeaWorld’s cruel orca prisons or refusing to dissect in school, animals are lucky to have Sage on their side,” says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. “By going vegan and encouraging others to make kind choices, Sage and peta2’s other entrants are already winners.”
Voting to help peta2 determine whom it should choose as the winners ends on July 28, and the winners will be featured on the website on August 4. peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—will consider three factors when selecting the winners: contestants’ actions for animals, their enthusiasm, and their total number of votes.
For more information and for a link to full contest details, please visit peta2.com/CoolestVegan.
