NBA Champ Challenges FLOTUS to Take PETA’s Vegan Pledge

John Salley Encourages ‘Let’s Move!’ Pioneer to Set an Example for the Country by Eating Vegan in the New Year

For Immediate Release:
December 29, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

With New Year’s resolutions on everyone’s mind, four-time NBA champion and outspoken vegan advocate John Salley has a suggestion for first lady Michelle Obama: Take PETA’s 30-day vegan pledge in the new year.

“Vegan eating is not just a slam dunk for human health; it’s also the most effective way to combat climate change,” writes Salley, who has been vegetarian since 1990 and vegan since 2008. “I urge you to set an example for families all across the country by committing to going vegan for 30 days in 2016. By taking the pledge during your final year serving as first lady, you will send a clear message to Americans that going vegan is one of the best things a person can do for their health, for animals, and for the environment.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—offers a free vegan starter kit on its website, which includes recipes for every occasion, tips for eating out, sample menus, and more.

For more information, please visit PETA’s blog.

John Salley’s letter to first lady Michelle Obama follows.

December 29, 2015

Michelle Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mrs. Obama,

I am writing to you as a father, athlete, wellness advocate, and enthusiastic champion of a vegan diet to encourage you to take a New Year’s 30-day veg pledge through PETA.

Take it from me: I’ve been vegetarian since 1990, and vegan since 2008. I credit my plant-based diet with giving me the energy and stamina to help carry my teams to four NBA championship wins. Since retiring from the NBA, veganism has become my passion. I have developed my own 22-day vegan detox program, which has the potential to aid weight loss and to reduce inflammation (a precursor to some forms of cancer and other chronic illnesses). I even lobbied Congress to include more healthy vegetarian options in school lunches to help combat childhood diabetes and other diet-related diseases. No one knows better than I do what going vegan can do for your health. Veganism has become a transformative part of my life and I have made it my mission to share the power of plant-based eating with the world.

As you have demonstrated through your Let’s Move! initiative with efforts like FNV, wellness is a top priority for you as a national leader and as a parent. Vegan eating is not just a slam dunk for human health; it’s also the most effective way to combat climate change, according to a 2010 report by the United Nations.

I urge you to set an example for families all across the country by committing to going vegan for 30 days in 2016. By taking the pledge during your final year serving as first lady, you will send a clear message to Americans that going vegan is one of the best things a person can do for their health, for animals, and for the environment. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

John Salley