We’re pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 Kenny Feldman Animal Advocate Award. We’ve created this award to recognize a person, organization, or business in our community whose amazing work is pushing the ball forward for animals. This year we’re giving the award to Terrell Woods, aka Carnage The Executioner.
Compassionate Action for Animals
Sterling Davis to speak at Twin Cities Veg Fest
Sterling “TrapKing” Davis is a well-traveled, ex-military, music and cat enthusiast who has always loved entertaining and interacting with people. In 2017, he started his own nonprofit, Trapking Humane Cat Solutions, where he focuses on educating, assisting, and doing trap-neuter-return (TNR) and community cat management. Davis’ mission is to change the stereotypes of not only men in cat rescue, but also bridge the gap between Black communities and predominantly white animal welfare organizations. He’s a featured speaker at Twin Cities Veg Fest where he’ll present his talk, “From Rapper to Trapper: you don’t lose cool points for compassion.”
Volunteer Shout-Out: Lisa Goddard, Speaker Coordinator for Twin Cities Veg Fest
A major highlight of Twin Cities Veg Fest is the amazing lineup of speakers who take the stage and inspire us with their insights. It takes a lot of dedication, organization and communication to bring great speakers to our event. We’re grateful for volunteer Lisa Goddard for taking the reins this year as Speaker Coordinator.
Meet the Twin Cities Veg Fest committee leadership team
Twin Cities Veg Fest is planned and coordinated by a committee of volunteers dedicated to making the event a success. With September 19 just around the corner, the committee is in high gear putting the final details together for this year’s hybrid in-person and virtual gathering. Meet the festival’s volunteer leadership team. They’re working with our staff and a team of 20 volunteers to orchestrate this year’s festival. Learn what they’re most excited about in 2021.
What’s new at the 2021 Twin Cities Veg Fest
We’re so excited that Twin Cities Veg Fest is back for 2021—and it’s better than ever! This year, Twin Cities Veg Fest will be a hybrid event with both a virtual experience on EventHub and an in-person return to Harriet Island Park in St. Paul. The festival will be on Sunday, September 19, with new hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Volunteer Shout-Out: Sheri Olson
Did you know that Twin Cities Veg Fest is the Midwest’s largest veg festival, and we’re expecting about 10,000 guests in 2021? Did you also know that the festival is almost entirely run by volunteers? Meet one of our Twin Cities Veg Fest Volunteer Coordinators, Sheri Olson. Sheri will be providing amazing feats of organization, coordination, leadership and solid support for volunteers on the day of the festival. Find out what Sheri has to say about volunteering for this year’s big event.
What inspired you to get involved with the Twin Cities Veg Fest?
I have been vegan for almost 8 years. I wanted to use my skills and love of event-planning to help support CAA and veganism in my community.
What are you most looking forward to about the festival?
I can’t wait to see all the vegan vendors and all the people connecting with great food. It’s really great to see people having a positive experience with being veg.
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering for Twin Cities Veg Fest?
It is super fun and you get to know other people who are like-minded. It’s an easy way to support and promote veganism.
What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a festival volunteer?
I really love meeting other people that think like me regarding animals. It’s a whole connecting thing — connecting with vendors, companies, food, and other veg-loving people. It really helps support your choices throughout the year. It makes you feel that you are not alone.
Volunteer Shout-Out: Alyssa Foggia
Alyssa Foggia is a CAA volunteer who’s currently helping plan and implement our summer schedule of vegan food giveaways in the community. Read on to discover what motivates Alyssa to work for the benefit of animals and to support plant-based eating in the Twin Cities.
What prompted you to get involved with CAA?
I volunteer with The Humane Society of the United States and our state director recommended I connect to CAA as a way to do more local advocacy work around plant-based eating. I’m always looking for ways to educate and advocate, and CAA seemed like a great org to join to do just that!
What volunteer work are you doing and what’s the benefit of volunteering?
Right now I’m helping to plan and coordinate some of our upcoming food giveaways — and I’ll be at most of them so I can interact with people in the community (my favorite part). As an animal lover and vegan activist, it often feels so overwhelming knowing all the ways animals are hurting — and not being able to stop the suffering. Volunteering with an organization like CAA makes me feel like I’m doing my part and actually making a difference for the animals.
When you are not helping out with CAA stuff, what do you do?
Outside of volunteering, I’m a freelance marketer and writer, part-time indoor cycling instructor, dog mom and plant-based at-home cook.
What inspires you to eat plant-based and take action for animals?
After learning about animal agriculture and how the industry treats animals, and seeing almost impossible-to-watch video footage, I can’t stand the thought of my dollar going to support those industries ever again. So when I eat/wear/use vegan, I’m actively choosing not to support animal agriculture or any industry that mistreats animals for profit.
Volunteer Shout-Out: Katelyn Maddox
It takes a village to get the word out about the Twin Cities Veg Fest. And Katelyn Maddox is just the person to help do it. Katelyn is one of our social media volunteers for the festival and has been promoting all things Twin Cities Veg Fest (with a side of vegan general interest) on Twitter. Read on to find out what motivates Katelyn to share her passion for plant-based foods.
Volunteer Shout-Out: Beth and Erik Sawyer
Volunteering can be a family affair! Meet CAA volunteers and mother-son duo, Beth and Erik Sawyer. They’ve been helping with CAA activities for years — embracing everything from handing out pamphlets at Grand Old Days to writing Postcards for Animals. Read below for Beth’s account of what inspires her and her son, Erik, to maintain a plant-based lifestyle and pitch in to spread the word.
In their own words: Middle school students share thoughts on Bridges of Respect
Bridges of Respect provides free humane education presentations for middle schools, high schools, after-school programs, colleges, and community groups. While presentations have mostly been offered in the Twin Cities metro area, the recent increase in online learning has opened the door for Bridges of Respect to connect with students in other cities and states.
Recently, Shannon Kimball and Suzy Sorenson teamed up to share a Bridges of Respect presentation via Zoom with a 7th and 8th grade Health class in Pocatello, Idaho. Several students shared their feedback after the experience: