In each issue Vegetarians in Paradise presents an informative article by a guest contributor on a subject that is of interest to vegetarians and vegans. This month we feature Johanna McCloy who would like to enlist your aid in a unique vegetarian campaign.
Johanna may be recognized by many of our readers because of her role as Ensign Calloway in Star Trek The Next Gereration.Along with acting, Johanna has written articles and a play and is currently planning a documentary on animal conservation. She speaks Spanish and Japanese and has appeared in commercials and movies on Japanese television. She has been a vegetarian since 1989 and is now a vegan.
"Veggie dogs! Veggie dogs here! Get yer veggie dogs!"
The boy looks over his left shoulder to see the vendor making his way down the steps, waving two silver wrapped hot dogs and then stopping to pass some along to a family of five. The boy turns quickly to his dad and pulls on his sleeve.
"Dad, the veggie dog guy. Can we have some? Can we have some?"
His father's arm extends back as his hand goes into his pocket to grab some cash. "You betcha," comes the reply.
"Ballpark Veggie Dog Sales Soaring. " reads a Los Angeles Times' headline. "Veggie dog sales have risen dramatically since being introduced to Dodger Stadium in 2001."
No one is more surprised than Farmer John, which has responded by stepping up promotions for their infamous "Dodger Dog."
Says concession manager, Lonzo Irvin, "We didn't expect veggie dog sales to take off so quickly, so we've had to scramble to provide additional inventory to satisfy the fans."
The surge of veggie dog sales at ballparks isn't limited to Dodger Stadium, either. The San Francisco Giants, the Chicago White Sox, the Seattle Mariners, the Atlanta Braves, the New York Yankees, and the Anaheim Angels are also doing brisk business with the newly added veggie dogs in their ballparks.
"This is the wave of the future," says one concession manager. "It's been remarkable."
Sounds plausible, right? Then why not help to make it happen?
When I started the Soy Happy campaign last year, I found that no major league stadiums offered veggie dogs as an alternative menu choice. Those of us who were ethical or health conscious vegetarians or vegans were relegated to a meal of peanuts and popcorn. Then a miracle happened.
On June19, 2000, the Chicago White Sox responded to this campaign and began to sell veggie dogs at Comiskey Park. We now have ten "Soy Happy Managers" across the country increasing public pressure to provide meat-free alternatives to the traditional ball park fare.
You can be a part of history. Join the Soy Happy campaign in getting veggie dogs into Major League ballparks (and other public venues). You'll be in good company.
Tony La Russa, Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, NL Central Division Champions in 2000, endorses this campaign, saying, "I'm a big dog lover and I prefer Soy Happy dogs."
Jane Velez-Mitchell from Channel 9 News says, "Frankly, having a veggie dog to nibble at the game would be a grand slam for vegetarians such as myself and those on a diet or merely health conscious!"
All kinds of national organizations and respected publications are picking up the story and writing about this campaign: the ASPCA, Vegsource, In Defense of Animals, Veggies Unite!, The Animal's Agenda, Friends of Animals, The Los Angeles Times, The Farm Sanctuary, and many more. In addition, Soy Happy is listed in countless action alerts on web sites concerning everything from religion to health to the environment to physical fitness.
How do you participate in this revolutionary movement? All you have to do is contact the Dodgers, or your favorite Major League Baseball team, urging them to introduce the veggie dog this year. The concession manager at Dodger Stadium, Lonzo Irvin, will be finalizing all concession contracts for the year by the end of this month, so make your voices heard while there's still a good shot at making a difference this season. Lonzo is doing his best to make it happen, but it's an uphill battle.
Farmer John has a 'no compete' clause in their contract, making it extremely difficult to introduce veggie alternatives. The more people that contact him, the more ammunition he'll have with the folks in charge to remove that clause from next year's contract and make veggie dogs possible in time for opening day. He's tracking all requests from the public to use as back up, so add your name to that list. Here's the contact information:
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Dodger Stadium
1000 Elysian Park Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012-1199
E Mail: (See concession manager below)
Vegetarian food available: Pretzels, veggie sandwich (added upon Soy Happy's request), Veggie pizza, nachos.
Dodger Stadium 323-224-1500
Concessions: Aramark 323-223-3341
Concession Manager: Lonzo Irvin (ext. 514)
E Mail:Irvin-Lonzo@aramark.com
This is a revolutionary movement. Take a part in changing mainstream fare. Stop the big meat companies from controlling our food options at public arenas. Together, we can make a big difference!
Soy Happy!
Soy Happy web site is located at http://www.soyhappy.orgE mail: imsoyhappy@yahoo.com
Johanna McCloy's Mailing Address: P.O. Box 42152, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Media contact number: 323-363-7226
