9th Red & Green VegFest a Success

 ALBUQUERQUE - Scores of vegans, foodies, as well as the vegan curious, came out to the 9th Annual Red & Green VegFest held at the Marriott Pyramid Hotel on Saturday, August 17. District 7 Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn joined forces with Sprouting Compassion to sponsor the culinary and thought-provoking festival. Councilor Fiebelkorn moderated presentations throughout the day. Her partner, Paul Roybal, was the event MC and did a cooking demo as well.

"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 borne from the passion of Nancy Arenas, President and Executive Director of Sprouting Compassion {https://www.sproutingcompassion.org/}. Sprouting Compassion is a 501©3 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 including live presentations, cooking demonstrations, vegan mentorship, dietary classes, and 'vegan swaps' where the community meets to share supplies, equipment, and information. 

Visit https://www.sproutingcompassion.org/ to schedule an appearance for your event.