Will Candlepin Bowling in Ellsworth Alley Score Funds From PETA?

For Immediate Release:
February 3, 2023

Contact:
Robin Goist 202-483-7382

As the Ellsworth community rallies around fundraising efforts for candlepin bowling alley D’Amanda’s, PETA sent a letter this morning to its owner (and sole employee), Autumn Mowery, offering to pitch in by paying to place a pro-vegan ad above the pin decks.

PETA notes that interest in lifesaving vegan meals has skyrocketed, with a 300% increase in the number of vegans over the past 15 years. And since vegans are less prone to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes than meat eaters are, going vegan would help D’Amanda’s loyal customers keep their balls rolling for many years to come.

“Between saving animals’ lives and protecting diners’ health, going vegan is like bowling a 300,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA would be delighted to bring our lifesaving message to D’Amanda’s patrons and help breathe some life into this beloved business.”

PETA hopes its ad will inspire Mowery’s fiancé, Ryan Lounder, who owns the bowling alley’s bar and restaurant, Strike N’ Slice, to offer hearty vegan options, such as pizza with dairy-free cheese and veggie burgers. He’d be in good company: According to market research firm Datassential, the number of “plant-based” options on U.S. restaurant menus has increased 2,800% since 2018.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—offers free vegan starter kits to help anyone make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Mowery follows.

February 3, 2023

Autumn Mowery

Owner and General Manager

D’Amanda’s

Dear Ms. Mowery:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally—in response to the fundraiser you’ve organized to keep D’Amanda’s candlepin bowling alley running, hire additional employees, and give your business some tender love and care. We have an offer that could score you some funding during this difficult time: We’d like to pay to place this eye-catching ad that reads, “Spare Animals. Get Your Health out of the Gutter: Go Vegan. PETA” above the pin deck.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, going vegan reduces an individual’s risk of developing diabetes by 62%, their chance of being hospitalized due to a heart attack by 33%, their risk of suffering from heart disease by 29%, and their risk of developing cancer by 18%. Vegan eating is also linked to a decrease in the risk of developing obesity, since vegans are about 18% thinner and 10 to 20 pounds lighter, on average, than their meat-eating counterparts.

Vegan businesses are thriving in the U.S.: The vegan market is expected to grow by 451% within the next 10 years, and the number of vegan options on restaurant menus has exploded by 2,800% since 2018. In addition, the number of people going vegan has skyrocketed—there’s been a 300% increase in the U.S. over the past 15 years, and more than half of all U.S. households now buy vegan food products. People are recognizing that vegan diets are more accessible and cost effective and can help reduce food bill costs by one-third, according to a University of Oxford study.

Consuming meat, eggs, and dairy has long been known to be unhealthy and unnecessary, and that’s why we, as a society, need to aim higher. I look forward to hearing from you to get the ball rolling on this win-win offer. Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President