Determined Street Teamer's Dedication Nets Her the Crown
For Immediate Release:
June 6, 2012
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
Cedarburg, Wis. -- After a field of hundreds of entrants was whittled down to 20 finalists (10 female and 10 male), 15-year-old Cedarburg resident Ruth Slavin was chosen the female winner of the 2012 Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest sponsored by peta2, PETA's youth division. Visitors to peta2.com cast their votes last month to help the group determine a winner.
"Ruth's commitment to fighting injustice and helping to make the world a better place for animals makes her a true winner in our book," says peta2's Marta Holmberg. "Going vegetarian—at any age—is the best thing that anyone can do for animals, the environment, and themselves."
Ruth—who went vegetarian at age 11 and vegan a year later—is a top peta2 Street Teamer, traveling to Chicago for the group's regional conference and attending and organizing protests every chance she gets. One of her favorite targets is McDonald's because the company refuses to switch to a less cruel method of chicken slaughter, even though it uses that system in Europe. In addition to the "McCruelty" campaign, Ruth has raised funds for community activism through vegan bake sales and will be volunteering at a local animal shelter this summer. She also claims to have dyed her hair nearly every color in the rainbow (currently, a "subdued" yellow and pink).
Ruth will hold the title for a full year. She and the male winner—22-year-old Braydan Lundell of South Jordan, Utah—have each won a professional photo shoot and will star in a peta2 ad.
For more information and to see Ruth's winning photo, please visit peta2.com or click here.