Our annual food giveaway was a success! Compassionate Action for Animals' favorite way of introducing people to new vegan foods is to provide free samples to the public.

We hosted our annual Vegan Food Showcase on September 11 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in Minneapolis. The event was a smash hit. The table was constantly swamped with students trying out the food during the passing time between classes. Many students remembered Veg Week from last year and were very excited to take the Pledge to be Veg once again, promising to change their eating habits from September 29 through October 7. They warmly remembered their favorite foods and restaurants that they enjoyed during that time. Some of the foods that students got to try were chocolate Silk soy milk and Coconut Bliss ice cream. The Gardein 7-Grain meat, which is made with grain, mimics real meat in both its taste and texture. The mock chicken crispy tenders and "beefless tips" were a big revelation for many students that veganism isn't just about salads. During the lower traffic moments, passers-by were excited to hold an in-depth conversation with the volunteers. Once students had a little more information and asked some questions of a practicing vegetarian or a passionate vegan, they were much more likely to sign up.

The main selling point in convincing people to sign the pledge was to tell them about the support system the CAA offers for the week. The students who seemed wary about pledging initially warmed up to the idea once volunteers mentioned the available coupons, Vegetarian Starter Kit, and the supporting events held throughout Veg Week so that novices and experts alike can come together with questions and struggles. In total, 289 people pledged to join us in celebrating and participating in Veg Week!

In addition to signing up people to Pledge to Be Veg, we passed out 843 leaflets about factory farming and vegetarianism, educating them about the horrors of modern animal agriculture and compassionate alternatives.

CAA is proud to host Veg Week's exciting events, including a free concert on Saturday, September 29 and a Feed In and film screening on Monday, October 1. See you there!

Join Wayne Pacelle at Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley on October 9.

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote "The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them." In the book, he discuss what drives the human-animal bond and how it exists within all of us. But he also takes an honest look at where the bond has been broken, and why we as a society have such a contradictory relationship with animals. We say we love them, and object to cruelty, but there's still so much abuse in the form of puppy mills, animal fighting rings, and factory farms, to name just a few examples.

Please come to the book signing on Tuesday, October 9, at the Animal Humane Society, 845 Meadow Lane North, Golden Valley, Minnesota.

Help us get the word out about Veg Week! We need your help to spread the word about compassionate eating.

With your help, we can educate the public about factory farming and vegetarian options. We're hosting our annual Veg Week from September 29 to October 7, and we'd like you come and put up posters with us on the following dates:

• Saturday, September 15, from 11 am to 3 pm at the CAA Campus Office.
• Wednesday, September 19, from 6 pm to 9 pm at the CAA Community Office.
• Monday, September 24, from 6 pm to 9 pm at the CAA Campus Office.

Please RSVP to jennifer.prokuski@exploreveg.org or 612-276-2242. Can't help us poster on those days? You can still help out! Please:

• Pledge to be Veg and invite your friends to do the same.
• Come to the Veg Week events and bring a friend.
• Invite your friends to the Facebook event.

Amazing discount card. Cool prizes. Free food. Help animals. Take the Pledge to be Veg!

All you have to do is pledge to eat vegetarian or vegan from Saturday, September 29, to Sunday, October 7.

Participants will get a special care pack and discount card, which will get you deals at many local restaurants, such as Seward Cafe, Galactic Pizza, Evergreen, and many more! We'll provide recipes, tips, and raffle prizes. Come to any of our Veg Week events for more resources and good times!

Take the Pledge to be Veg online today!

Have friends who might want to take the Pledge to be Veg? Tell them about it!

Mark your Calendars for Veg Week 2012! Our ninth annual Veg Week pulls together a host of fun and educational events to encourage people to move towards a plant-based diet.

Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) started our celebration of all things veg back in 2004. Over the course of one week we celebrate vegetarian diets, educate the public about compassionate food choices, and inspire respect for farm animals. Events include a feed-in and film screening, a dine-out, a cooking class, and more. Check out our calendar below for a full list of events and times.

Pledge to be Veg!

Participate in Veg Week by taking our Pledge to be Veg and choosing to eat vegetarian for the week! Already a vegetarian? We are encouraging vegetarians to try eating vegan.

Don't worry, we make it easy! When you Pledge, you receive a Pledge Card that gives discounts at local veg-friendly restaurants and businesses. We also help by sending email updates with recipes and nutrition advice and providing a supportive community of animal lovers who will be attending our events during the first week of October!

Encourage your friends to take the pledge too!

Calendar of Events

See the events below, and click on each link for more details!

• Tuesday, September 11th, 10 am to 2 pm: Vegan Food Showcase, West Bank bridgehead, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Saturday, September 29th, 7 to 10 pm: Veg Week Kick-off Concert with Roe Family Singers and Sleepyhead in The Whole in Coffman Memorial Union, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Monday, October 1st, 6 pm to 10 pm: Spaghetti Feed-In and Vegucated movie showing in the Mississippi Room in Coffman Memorial Union, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Tuesday, October 2nd, 10 am to 2 pm: Bake Sale, in the basement of Coffman Memorial Union, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Tuesday, October 2nd, time TBA: Shop with a Vegan at the Seward Co-op
• Wednesday, October 3rd, time TBA: Cooking Class, location TBA
• Thursday, October 4th, 7 pm to 10 pm: Dine-Out at Krungthep Thai
• Friday, October 5th, 8 pm – 11 pm: Vegan After Dark at Moto-I
• Sunday, October 7th, 1 pm to 3 pm: Chicken Sanctuary Tour at a local sanctuary

Check back at our website at www.VegWeek.org for details and updates. We hope to see you there!

Our first ever Twin Cities Veg Fest, held on July 14, was a tremendous success! Please support the future of this festival.

Thanks to the hard work of the exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, the committee, we made the first ever Twin Cities Veg Fest a huge success! Can you make a contribution so we can plan an even better festival next year?

With your support, we can:

• Host the Veg Fest again in 2013!
• Advertise the festival more widely to get more folks who are not aware of the cruelties of modern animal agriculture.
• Add more programming, perhaps including music or exploding tofu.
• Get more food samples and more food vendors!

Please make a generous donation of $50, $25, or $10 to support the Twin Cities Veg Fest!