Will Officer-Run Ice Cream Truck Scoop Up Offer for Vegan Treats?

Public Safety Officials Could Strengthen Community Relations and Protect Children’s Health With Dairy-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches From PETA

For Immediate Release:
May 5, 2017

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

On May 22, the Oak Park Department of Public Safety will hit the gas on its new ice cream truck, which will distribute 300 free ice cream sandwiches a week until winter hits—and PETA has offered to donate $1,000 worth of rich and creamy So Delicious coconut-, soy-, and almond-based ice cream bars for the occasion. The cruelty-free treats are lower in fat and sugar than their dairy-based counterparts and would help the department truly serve (dairy-free frozen treats) and protect (kids’ health).

“By scooping up PETA’s offer, officials could help kids beat the heat and keep them from bouncing off the walls from an unhealthy sugar high,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Children have a natural affinity for animals, and it would be a crime for them to miss out on these delicious dairy-free ice cream bars that give everyone a lucky break.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes that dairy is one of the most common allergens in young children and that consuming dairy foods has been associated with acne, bloating, constipation, ear infections, and symptoms of lactose intolerance (which affects 70 percent of African Americans). Vegan ice cream bars are also kind to mother cows, who are artificially impregnated and then immediately separated from their newborn calves on dairy farms so that their milk can be consumed by humans instead.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.