The Race Is On as 19-Year-Old Beats Out More Than 1,200 Contenders
For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2011
Contact:
Robbyn Brooks 202-483-7382
Hartford, Conn. — What does 19-year-old Hartford resident Benjamin Malave have in common with Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper? Harper was a winner of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest, and Malave is one of the male finalists in the spin-off Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest sponsored by peta2, PETA's youth division. Malave beat out more than 1,200 contestants from across the U.S. Supporters can check out finalists by visiting peta2.com and can click here to find out how to vote via text message to help peta2 select the winners. Two winners (one male and one female) will be announced on June 6, and each will win a professional photo shoot and star in a peta2 ad.
"More and more Americans are going vegetarian every day, and young people are leading the charge," says peta2 Division Manager Marta Holmberg. "It's no wonder: On average, vegetarians are slimmer, trimmer, and generally healthier than meat-eaters, so they're bound to be a lot cuter too!"
Malave decided to go vegan a year and a half ago when he came to the conclusion that it was morally reprehensible to take an animal's life or freedom for his own pleasure—and once he realized how easy it was to maintain a cruelty-free diet, he knew he'd never go back to eating meat. Malave has handed out pro-vegetarian information at concerts and on the street, and recently, he participated in a protest against Ringling Bros. circus's abuse of wild animals. When he's not speaking up for animals, Malave enjoys creating music and art—and eating vegan burritos from Chipotle.
To view photos and bios of all the finalists and to vote in the contest to help peta2 decide the winners, please click here. To vote for Malave, text "Benjamin" to 73822.