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| Lynx Issue 35: Veg Starter Kit Stands on PGH Streets, Foie Gras Protested at Eleven |
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| Friday, 26 June 2009 00:00 |
In this week’s edition:
Eleven Celebrates Their Anniversary With Foie Gras - VFA Holds Protest After receiving a tip from an anonymous caller, VFA was shocked to learn that at big Burrito-owned restaurant Eleven’s 5-year anniversary dinner on June 11th, one of the entrees featured at the $150 per plate meal was foie gras! big Burrito Group owns 6 different restaurants in the Pittsburgh area: Mad Mex (and all its regional branches), Eleven, Kaya, Casbah, Soba, and Umi. This news was so surprising because big Burrito was a former long-term target of VFA’s Foie Gras Free Pittsburgh campaign, due to foie gras being sold at 4 out of the 6 big Burrito restaurants: Eleven, Casbah, Soba, and Kaya. The campaign ended when foie gras was removed from big Burrito’s restaurant menus with Eleven being the last holdout. Now after years gone by without selling foie gras, Eleven had suddenly decided to slip it back onto their event menu to celebrate their anniversary. Although discovered at the last minute, we knew we couldn’t let this event occur unopposed because it could open the doors to the potential of foie gras returning to the menus of big Burrito restaurants. Therefore, we responded by calling a small group of volunteers together for an impromptu protest of the Eleven anniversary dinner. We caught the attention of busy Strip District rush hour traffic and handed out many leaflets, educating patrons and passers-by to the horrific cruelty inherent to foie gras production. Currently, foie gras is not listed on any of the big Burrito restaurants’ menus, however if it does return, VFA will not hesitate to re-launch its campaign against the popular restaurant chain. Thank you to everyone who attended this protest on such short notice! Eleven Protest Photos VFA Launches Giant Eagle Campaign While Shrine Circus may have packed up the bullhooks and chains from their April show in Pittsburgh, the performing animals’ miserable schedule of touring city to city in tiny trailers continues well throughout 2009. It is because of this that VFA held its first protest in launching the sustained campaign against Giant Eagle for its annual partnership with Shrine Circus. Even the most dedicated of Penguins fans made it out before game 7 to demonstrate outside of Squirrel Hill Giant Eagle with several colorful signs bearing VFA’s new title for the store - “Giant Evil,” as well as leaflet to customers and passers-by about the abuse standard to animal circus acts which Giant Eagle annually promotes in their “Family Fun Pack.” Several minutes into the protest, we were approached by the local Giant Eagle’s store manager, already aware of our campaign. He asked questions about the issue and took pictures of the demonstration, making us aware they would be sent to Giant Eagle’s corporate office. After years of ignored letters sent to the corporate office regarding this issue, we are happy to know that our message will definitely be delivered to Giant Eagle executives. Thanks to all who attended, this is only the beginning! Please stay tuned for announcements on future Giant Eagle actions. Giant Eagle Protest Photos Veg Starter Kit Boxes - Now in a Neighborhood Near You! If you’re strolling through Oakland, Southside, Squirrel Hill, or the Strip District and a VFA logo catches your sight, your eyes haven’t deceived you! As part of ourVeg Pittsburgh campaign and in honor of World Farm Animals Day in October of 2008, VFA sent out an appeal for fundraising to provide Pittsburgh neighborhoods with free information on the atrocities constantly suffered by animals in the meat, dairy, and egg industries. A very special thanks goes out to an extremely generous donor who took this cause to heart and responded to our requests on funding this project - Joe, you‘re awesome! Thanks also goes out to Annette, Heather, and anyone else who made a special contribution towards this project. Lets keep VFA’s Veg Pittsburgh campaign in motion! Donations for future newspaper boxes (they’re a little over 100$ each), and suggestions for places to display our Mobilization for Animals farmed animal exhibit are welcomed and more than appreciated! Thank You! Veg Starter Kit Boxes Photos Visit VFA's Table at Adoption Day! Hearts and Paws Pet Ministry has invited VFA to table at their sixth annual Adoption and Care Fair on Saturday, June 27th, from 9:30am - 2:30pm. Stop by to meet VFA volunteers and most importantly, some great adoptable animals from rescue and advocacy organizations throughout the area. You can also help out VFA with some fundraising by purchasing a delicious vegan baked good. Hope to see you there! When: Saturday, June 27th, 9:30am - 2:30pm Where: Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park PA 15102 View this event on VFA’s calendar: Click Here |