The Race Is On—Winners of PETA National Contest Will Head to Maui
For Immediate Release:
May 11, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Silver Spring, Md. — The competition to be named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door is heating up, and 22-year-old Silver Spring resident Udara Perera may just take home the grand prize. That's because Perera has beaten out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 female contestants to advance to the final round in PETA's contest. Two winners (one female and one male) will be crowned PETA's Sexiest Vegetarians, and each will win a free trip to Maui.
"On average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters are—and they save more than 100 animals a year from factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "One look at our radiant finalists proves that there's nothing sexier than compassion."
Perera went vegetarian about five years ago after the death of her beloved grandfather (a vegetarian) and learning about the horrors of factory farms and slaughterhouses. She is a medical receptionist and model and shares her home with her adopted dog, Meiko. While in college at the University of Maryland–Baltimore County (UMBC), Perera helped the student group UMBC Vegetarians develop a pamphlet that listed all the vegetarian and vegan dining options on campus.
To see photos and read bios of Perera and the other sexy vegetarian finalists, please click here. The second round of voting ends May 23, and the two winners will be announced on May 31. Each winner will spend seven nights in beautiful Maui, courtesy of the PETA Member Advantage Program.
For more information and to vote in the contest, please visit PETA.org or click here.