Parents Teach 2-Year-Old Vegan to Respect All the Planet's Inhabitants
For Immediate Release:
November 10, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Damascus, Md. -- 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, 2-year-old Ryan Rakovan of Damascus was selected as one of the five male finalists in PETA's fifth annual Cutest Vegetarian Kid Contest. Now, visitors to PETAKids.com can cast their vote for Ryan or any of the other finalists, and PETA will choose two winners—one boy and one girl.
"More and more Americans are going vegetarian every day, and young people—in Ryan's case, very young—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!"
Ryan was adopted from China in February when he was 18 months old. He was born with a cleft lip and palate and has undergone two corrective surgeries since coming to the U.S. His parents—who put Ryan on a healthy vegan diet the day that they first met him—went vegan because they learned that it was the best way to protect his health, animals, and the environment. They want to teach Ryan to respect the animals with whom we share this world as well as the valuable lesson that his actions have consequences that affect others.
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.