
For Immediate Release:
February 3, 2023
Contact:
Robin Goist 202-483-7382
Bangor, Maine â As the Ellsworth community rallies around fundraising efforts for candlepin bowling alley DâAmandaâs, 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 DâAmandaâs loyal customers keep their balls rolling for many years to come.
âBetween saving animalsâ lives and protecting dinersâ health, going vegan is like bowling a 300,â says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. âPETA would be delighted to bring our lifesaving message to DâAmandaâs patrons and help breathe some life into this beloved business.â
PETA hopes its ad will inspire Moweryâs fiancĂ©, Ryan Lounder, who owns the bowling alleyâs bar and restaurant, Strike Nâ Slice, to offer hearty vegan options, such as pizza with dairy-free cheese and veggie burgers. Heâd be in good company: According to market research firm Datassential, the number of âplant-basedâ options on U.S. restaurant menus has increased 2,800% since 2018.
PETAâwhose motto reads, in part, that âanimals are not ours to eatâ and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldviewâoffers 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 onâŻTwitter, Facebook, orâŻInstagram.
PETAâs letter to Mowery follows.
February 3, 2023
Autumn Mowery
Owner and General Manager
DâAmandaâs
Dear Ms. Mowery:
Iâm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsâPETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globallyâin response to the fundraiser youâve organized to keep DâAmandaâs 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: Weâd like to pay to place this eye-catching ad that reads, âSpare Animals. Get Your Health out of the Gutter: Go Vegan. PETAâ above the pin deck.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, going vegan reduces an individualâs 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 skyrocketedâthereâs 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 thatâs 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
Source: Peta.org