Cesar Chavez Parade, thanks Alex for spreading the word!

[Guest guest]

Thanks Alex, for your message encouraging folks to come dance, walk, and enjoy

a beautiful day with us in the sunny Mission district, for the Cesar Chavez

Parade this Saturday. We'll be honoring Cesar Chavez, a vegetarian / civil

rights / animal rights activist in the true sense of these words! He actively

encouraged those around him to adopt a vegan/vegetarian diet. By the accounts

I've seen, Cesar Chavez was vegetarian for 25 years, and vegan for an unknown

number of years. Certainly he was vegan macrobiotic by the last years of his

life, which is when the person that I talked to at the parade HQ, knew him.

 

Cesar Chavez passed away at the age of 66, so 25 years is actually more than

one-third of his life! No small deal. I asked, why did he die so young, and

one of the parade organizers said it was because he went on fasts spanning weeks

at a time, and it was hard on his body. She said that when they did an autopsy

on Cesar Chavez' body, it was totally " clean " (her word) ... there was no

atherosclerosis, plaque-build-up, intestinal problems, etc. She said she

thought he died in his sleep ... I'm guessing this is from exhaustion for having

worked so hard, for so many years.

 

Now for some clarification about PARADE DETAILS, signs and what-not.

 

Here's the deal.

 

We need about 20 people to march with us!

 

1 person is Winnie who will be riding her bike.

1 person will be pushing a cart full of vegan outreach flyers.

1 person will be needed to push a cart holding our music system, extra signs,

other random things.

2 people will be handing out vegan outreach flyers.

3 people will be needed to walk behind the BIG BANNER (from Tammy and Mila,

thank you!!!) that says Bay Area Vegetarians.

3 people will be needed to walk behind the BIG BANNER (from Dixie and Tom) that

says San Francisco Vegetarian Society.

 

OK. That's 11 people who do NOT need to make or bring any signs!

So if you don't have time to make a sign, don't worry.

 

The other 9 people would be people who will carry signs if they have them, or

just dance to the music, wave and smile to the crowd, throw candy to the kids,

that sort of thing. Also, the other 9 people can rotate duties with the

banner-carriers, to give them a break.

 

The parade route is about 1.25 miles, over flat ground, nothing strenuous.

 

I am planning to make some signs on Friday (my day off), so if you want to help

me, let me know. The signs I'll be making can be used by anyone who randomly

joins us.

 

Also, for costumes. Wear one if you've got one, but IF NOT ... wear a T-shirt

or sweatshirt that says VEGAN or VEGETARIAN. How's that for easy!?? If you

don't have a veg T-shirt, you can write " GO VEG " in bold letters on a stiff

piece of paper, reinforce it with scotch tape, and safety-pin it to the back of

your shirt.

 

The point is for us to be a VISIBLE GROUP of VEGETARIANS/VEGANS marching to

bring attention to the fact that Cesar Chavez was vegetarian/vegan. He actively

encouraged others to go vegan, and by doing the same, we are keeping his memory

alive.

 

Oh, and if you don't want to respond on the evite, NO PROBLEM. Just send me an

e-mail. AND, YES, OF COURSE, you can just SHOW UP, day of all energized and

ready to walk. Believe me, I'll be VERY HAPPY to see you! The more people we

have marching in the vegetarian group, the bigger statement we will make. But

if you can RSVP (be e-mail or on evite), please do ... it will be very

encouraging to me to have an idea that we are getting close to the (minimum 11

but hopefully 20+) people we need to make this a successful event.

 

AND THE WEATHER ... Forecast is Partly Sunny (translates to Mostly Sunny, in the

Mission) for this SATURDAY. Temps in the upper 50s.

 

So for those on the fence, have I addressed all your concerns? I hope so!

JUST BE THERE. Between 11:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. at Dolores Park (near the 16th

St Mission BART and J-Church lines in San Francisco). You'll see where the

parade is lining up, and then look for the big BayAreaVeg and SFVS banners.

The parade will be done by 1:00 p.m.

 

Afterward, we'll check out the 24th St Fair and then go for a vegan lunch

together. The lunch part is optional, of course, if you've got stuff you need

to go do!

 

Take care everybody,

Rachel D.

San Francisco, CA

 

P.S. See Alex's awesome P.S. below. It was in her AR attorney post.

 

 

, Alex Bury <alexbury1 wrote:

>

> p.s.

> If you're not yet signed up for the veg outreach at Casar Chavez parade this

weekend...SIGN UP!

> http://bayareaveg.org/events.htm?EID=2350#2350

> Seriously, no excuses here.

> 1. If slaughterhouses upset you, do something about it. Spend a couple of

fun hours making more people go veg. The animals can't do it. We have to.

> 2. Support another great Bay Area Veg event--all the BAV organizing is done

by a very tiny group of people, and they could use your energy at the actual

event!

> 3. Get to know your fellow veg-heads.

> 4. Get off the couch.

> 5. Support Rachel, who is putting a lot of work into this.

> 6. Walk your talk! Lots of people post to the list wanting to see more

events organized. Your wish has been granted. All you have to do is show up!

> 7. Warm up for Pride in June!!

>