High School Club Nabs Hero to Animals Award for Bringing Vegan Options to Cafeteria

For Immediate Release:
May 31, 2023

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

A Hero to Animals Award from peta2, PETA’s youth division, is on its way to the Earth-Based Club at Aliso Niguel High School for its victory in getting vegan options added to the school cafeteria’s menu. The new offerings include a Kickin’ Salad with vegan nuggets, a Hummburger with hummus on whole-grain flatbread, and a Vegan Chick’n Parmless Hoagie with marinara sauce.

“I am vegan for the animals first, so cofounding this club was mainly because I wanted to share about the animal agricultural industry and how it harms the animals, planet, and ourselves,” says president and cofounder Adelina Toufanpur. “Being able to have an influence on ANHS and adding vegan options is everything I’ve dreamt of, and I couldn’t be happier!”

“The Earth-Based Club’s victory in getting vegan options onto its school menu is a shining example of young people leading the charge for animal rights,” says peta2 Senior Director Rachelle Owen. “peta2 is ready to support students across the country who want to follow this club’s lead and stand up for animals in their own schools.”

The Earth-Based Club’s purpose is to advocate for “healthier, more compassionate, and environmentally friendly” choices and to inform others about climate-related issues. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals a year; reduces their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA offers a free vegan starter kit for those ready to make the switch.

peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit peta2.org or follow the group on TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram.