Scores of vegans, food enthusiasts, and the vegan curious attended the 9th Annual Red & Green VegFest at the Marriott Pyramid Hotel on Saturday, August 17. District 7 Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn collaborated with Sprouting Compassion to sponsor the culinary and educational festival. Councilor Fiebelkorn moderated presentations throughout the day, while her partner, Paul Roybal, served as the event MC and conducted a cooking demonstration.
"As a vegan who supports animal rights, I relish this opportunity to broaden our community's knowledge of the benefits of living the vegan lifestyle," said District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. "Eating a vegan diet is a great way to reduce your individual climate impact and reduce animal abuse and suffering. Veganism is an effective approach to promoting both personal health and environmental sustainability - and the food is delicious!"
The annual Red & Green VegFest Albuquerque began in 2016 as a grassroots initiative driven by Nancy Arenas, President and Executive Director of Sprouting Compassion. Sprouting Compassion is a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness about the intersection of veganism and social justice issues.
"We are thrilled at this year's attendance for VegFest," said Nancy Arenas, VegFest's organizer. "Veganism has become a mainstream movement. Over the past decade, the number of individuals adopting a vegan lifestyle has increased by 350%. As concerns about healthcare costs, disease prevalence, and the food industry’s impact on climate change grow, there are more people reevaluating their dietary choices and who recognize that veganism is about collective well-being."
Sprouting Compassion's outreach programs are available to the public for events. The staff and volunteers share valuable information through live presentations, cooking demonstrations, vegan mentorships, dietary classes, and 'vegan swaps' where community members exchange supplies, equipment, and information.
Visit https://www.sproutingcompassion.org/ to schedule an appearance for your event.
