Grand Canyon State Gains Inside Track on Claiming Winner
For Immediate Release:
November 8, 2011
Contact:
Adam Miller 202-483-7382
Phoenix -- PETA's annual contests saluting the radiance and appeal of vegetarians—sexiest celebrity vegetarian, sexiest vegetarian next door, and cutest vegetarian alive—have grown in popularity every year since their inception. And the contest designed especially for young kids is no exception. After hundreds of kids' photos and bios sent in from across the country were carefully sorted through, 5-year-old Owen Laszloffy of Scottsdale and 8-year-old Raziel Tucker of Flagstaff were selected as two of the five male finalists in PETA's fifth annual Cutest Vegetarian Kid contest. Now, visitors to PETAKids.com can cast their vote for Owen or Raziel or any of the other finalists, and PETA will choose two winners—one boy and one girl. Arizona is the only state that's home to more than one finalist.
"More and more Americans are going vegetarian every day, and young people—including very young people—are leading the charge," says PETA Assistant Manager Emily Nash. "It's no wonder: Vegetarians are slimmer, trimmer, and healthier, on average, than meat-eaters are, so they're bound to be a lot cuter too!"
Owen was raised as a vegetarian, and after learning that his mother was vegetarian but his father was not, he decided to stick with his healthy and humane diet. In another show of compassion, Owen donated the $42 he received for his fifth birthday to a local animal shelter. When asked why he's vegetarian, Owen's answer is short and sweet: "Animals are my friends, and I don't eat my friends."
Raziel went vegetarian three months ago and says his next step is to go vegan. He refuses to use products that were tested on animals and doesn't wear fur or wool. His favorite activities include playing with his puppy and playing games on PETA's special website for kids, PETAKids.com. When his friends ask him why he doesn't eat meat, Raziel replies, "Only zombies eat flesh."
The winners will be determined by the passion demonstrated in their submitted responses, the number of votes received from the public, the enthusiasm demonstrated by the entrants in living and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, and PETA's assessment of the cuteness of the photo. The winners, both a boy and a girl, will be announced on November 17. They will also be announced to their hometown media, and both will receive a special prize pack filled with PETA goodies as well as the opportunity to appear in their very own PETA Kids ad.
For more information and to vote, please visit PETAKids.com.