Vegan Journal August 1983
IT'S INCREDIBLE
This is a story of the Catonsville Community College Fair or how incredibly nice vegetarians can be.
On July 23, Sherman Pratt rose at the crack of dawn to travel by bus and meet Charles Stahler and Debra Wasserman at their house. Soon after Norris and Audrey Fluke drove several miles out of their way to pick up materials for the Catonsville festival. Upon arrival at the college, we instantly spotted Mike and Cindy Blum whom lugged two large tables to be used for our vegetarian booth. Also joining us throughout the day were Sandy Weinstein, Pete Rickard, and Susan Stalfort. All endured the hot sun to distribute information, answer questions about vegetarianism, sell books and t-shirts, and collect names. We feasted on watermelon, vegan cookies, and fried potatoes from a neighboring booth. Nearby Animal Liberation members sold vegetarian hot dogs and filled petitions that spoke out against using dog pound animals for experiments. Most visitors were attracted to our booth by 9 month old Sarah Blum who sported a sign "I'm a vegetarian baby". However, her mother's opera horns scared a few away.
Around evening time, the incredibly thoughtful Blums asked if we wanted to camp overnight so we could watch our table and leave it set up for the next day. They traveled home and returned with a tent which they pitched in four minutes flat. We again feasted on a hot casserole that was quickly prepared by Cindy from her home grown vegies.
We finally settled down for the night in our leakproof tent. Or so we thought. It began to pour. Pete remembered open windows in his car and noticed our books were well protected from the top but were being flooded from the bottom. So we braved the rain and packed our materials into his car hoping our tables would not float away. Vegetarian bravery and consideration doesn't end here. Sunday morning, 7 AM, several hours before the beginning of the festival, Norris and Audrey roll up with our breakfast fresh from the farmers' market. Vegetarians can be incredible. Thank you to all that helped that weekend.
More thanks to Consumers for Nutrition Action who contributed some materials used at our booth. And more thanks for Gayle Miller who dropped off at our table gads full of artwork to be used for our newsletters and fliers.
And of course it was great to be visited by Shane Whelan, who is featured on the front cover of Vegetarianism For The Working Person Quick and Fasy Vegetarian Recipes, Shirley Oehme, Sandy's father and Ann Lytle of Baltimore Animal Liberation. Hope you'll join us at our next booth.
We won't even begin to describe the good times had by all on our last two camping trips. Come join us on our next camping trip that has been scheduled for the weekend of October 7-9 at a campground on the ocean in Lewes, DE.
HELP US CELEBRATE
If you would like to volunteer to help us with the Baltimore World Vegetarian Day Conference, please give us a call (752-VEGV). All workers for Baltimore Vegetarians are not paid.
- Sell tickets beforehand
- Help prepare food
- Set up tables at the Conference
- Serve food
- Decorate the rooms
- House out of town guests
- Provide transportation
- Help shop
- Help take items to the Conference
Baltimore Vegetarians will be promoting good nutrition and our October 1st Conference by taking out public interest ads on Baltimore City buses. These ads cost $2.00 for the space and about $4.00 a piece for printing. If you can help us pay for one or more ads, please send a check to Baltimore Vegetarians, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. We hope this will be at least a small alternative to the constant advertising of MacDonald's, Burger King, the American Dairy Council, Coca Cola, etc.
MEMBER'S COMMENTS
To change one's lifestyle is a war between mind and flesh. When I decided to become a vegetarian 3 years ago because of migraine attacks I discovered to my delight an improvement in my health that now has my demon under complete control. The last 3 years I have not taken any "pills" to control this demon. So for me periodic fasting and being a vegetarian is in its self a natural course of events.
-- Ray Kazmierski
