To raise awareness about the benefits of a plant-based diet, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner Frank Avila presented a resolution to a representative of the Chicago Veggie Pride Parade which will be held in Grant Park on June 1. Commissioner Avila presented the resolution to Marisa Buchheit, Miss Heart of Illinois 2013, Parade Grand Marshall and media representative for the Chicago Veggie Pride Parade during the May 16 Board of Commissioners meeting.
The Veggie Pride Parade has been held annually in Paris, France since 2001, but was later emulated in other cities across the globe. The first Chicago Veggie Pride Parade was held in 2012 and attracted 600 participants.During the past two years, ChicagoVeg has offered over 100 events to supports local vegans/vegetarians and promote veganism/vegetarianism in the Chicago area. While assuring success of the Chicago Veggie Pride Parade, Marisa is also involved with an initiative to spread the Veggie Pride movement throughout North America.
Vadim Moskalin is founder of the Chicagoland Community for Vegetarians, Vegans, and Raw Foodists. "We welcome all vegans, vegetarians, and any supporters of a plant-based diet in the greater Chicago area (and in the entire Midwest) who would like to give or receive support in their choices, whether they are based on Ethical, Environmental, Health or Spiritual reasons," said Moskalin. "The mission of the parade is to unify the voices of everyone who sees an advantage to a plant-based diet and wishes to share and promote it for the sake of the animals, environment, or our personal health/health of our loved ones. This unified voice will help to make a strong impact on promoting a plant-based diet and will bring public attention to the global importance of our food choices. Let us all unite and inspire others to join us."
"My family and I find it personally rewarding to celebrate the Vegan/Vegetarian lifestyle," said Commissioner Avila. "I hope by highlighting this group's efforts and their parade, more people will come to learn the health benefits of a consuming a plant-based diet."
More information about the parade can be found at www.chicagoveg.org . More information about the MWRD can be found at www.mwrd.org .