Compassion Over Killing, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Md. Sen. Jamie Raskin and Md. Del. Tom Hucker are excited to present Maryland VegWeek, a week-long pledge to choose vegetarian foods as a simple yet effective
way to help protect the planet, our health, and animals.
Participate in VegWeek: "I Pledge to Go Veg for One Week!"
There are 52 weeks in a year - why not make at least one of them
meat-free? It's easy: Sign up today to pledge to
choose vegetarian foods for the week of April 18-24, and
you'll receive a starter pack
loaded with recipes, meal ideas, and other information about vegetarian
eating. Plus, we'll send daily email updates with even more tips!
Maryland VegWeek also includes a VegWeek Celebration party, several events, and VegWeek specials at many restaurants to help you succeed in your week-long pledge.
Who's Pledging to Go Veg
Delegate Aruna Miller represents District 15, Maryland's largest district, which includes Gaithersburg, Rockville, and much of Montgomery County. Del. Miller chairs Serving Our Communities (SOC), an initiative to strengthen
communities with volunteers to promote core Democratic values such as
healthcare, education, and protection of our environment. As a long-time vegetarian, Del. Miller is encouraging friends, family, and neighbors in District 15 to join her for the week.
Congresswoman Donna Edwards represents Maryland's 4th Congressional District,
comprising portions of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. Just prior to
serving in Congress, Rep. Edwards worked to improve both labor and human rights
both nationally and internationally.
I look forward to participating in VegWeek again this year to highlight the positive impact vegetarian choices have on the environment, small businesses and local farmers, and also for the important benefits of a healthy lifestyle. I am proud to play a part in this effort to encourage healthy living while supporting the hardworking suppliers of vegetarian options in Maryland.
Senator Jamie Raskin is represents District 20 in the Maryland State Senate, which includes Silver Spring and Takoma Park. In the 2010 legislative session, Sen. Raskin scored 100%+ on Maryland Votes for Animals' Humane Scorecard. Pledging to go vegetarian
for VegWeek in 2009 and 2010, Raskin is renewing his pledge and encouraging
others to take one week to explore vegetarian eating as a way to protect their health, the environment, and animals.
Delegate Tom Hucker (D-20) serves on
the House Economic Matters Committee, and its Consumer Protection & Commercial Law Subcommittee. He is the lead sponsor of
legislation to ban the use of arsenic in chicken feed in Maryland and has sponsored other animal-protection bills such as a ban on cruel leghold traps in
Mont. County. A long-time community organizer, he has passed
legislation to reduce pollution in the
Chesapeake Bay and further protect the civil rights of all Marylanders. In the 2010 legislative session, Del. Hucker scored 100%+ on Maryland Votes for Animals' Humane Scorecard. This is Del. Hucker's third year participating in VegWeek--and this year he's joined by his entire legislative staff: Dave Kunes, Emily Koechlin, and Kevin Gillogly.
Montgomery County Council President Valerie Ervin represents District 5,
which includes Kensington, Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Wheaton. She is an advocate for the
interests of working families and improving the lives of children, is committed to making sure
that children have proper nutrition, and advocates for community gardens by spearheading a
pilot program with the Parks Department. Councilmember Ervin is committed to working at the
local and state level to improve the environment and is part of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a
nonprofit organization created to promote public awareness and participation in the restoration
and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.
Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) is a Political
Action Committee with one overriding mission: To create an ever-growing voting
bloc of animal advocates who will elect representatives willing to champion and
vote for animal protection legislation, and to hold politicians accountable to
their constituents. All seven board members are pledging to go veg during
Maryland VegWeek as an extension of their mission to protect animals and the
environment: Carolyn Kilborn, Valerie Pringle, Kimberly Jackson, Lynn Hopkins,
Kathy Kirschnner, Joseph Lamp, and Sara Poulin.
Executive Director of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Association, Eric Bernard has been an active firefighter and EMT continuously for
the past twenty-three years. He has worked in the federal government consulting
on various public safety and life safety issues and provided testimony before
several governmental bodies, panels and councils and is also an adjunct
professor of forensic science at the George Washington University.This is his second year participating in Maryland VegWeek!
Delegate Jon S. Cardin is in the fourth year of his second term representing the 11th District of Northwest Baltimore County in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Cardin has served as Chairman of the Election Law subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee since 2007. The Ways and Means committee areas of jurisdiction include gaming, taxes, children & youth, education, and election reform. He previously served on the Tax & Revenue and Education subcommittees. The Delegate focuses his legislative agenda on election law, the tax code, education reform and environmental policy. In the 2010 legislative session, Del. Cardin scored 100%+ on Maryland Votes for Animals' Humane Scorecard.
Delegate Dan Morhaim, M.D. (D-11) was first elected to the Maryland General Assembly in
1994 and
re-elected in 1998, 2002, and 2006 to represent the 11th
District in
the House of Delegates. He has several assigments in the legislature: he is the Deputy Majority Leader, he serves on
the Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee, he is the Chair on the
subcommittee
on Government Operations, he is the House Chair of the Joint
House-Senate Committee on Health Care Delivery and Finance and he also
serves on the Administrative Executive Legislative Review (AELR)
Committee. In the 2010 legislative session, Del. Morhaim scored 100% on Maryland Votes for Animals' Humane Scorecard.
Delegate Shane Robinson represents the 39th district, a horse-shoe district surrounding Gaithersburg, MD. Before starting his career as a Maryland Delegate, Shane and his wife served in the Peace Corps in Zambia, working extensively with neighborhood health committees to improve the quality of health care in the area. He's also a Senior Associate at Coulter Nonprofit Management, working with
clients involved in health, education, and smart urban development.
I became a vegetarian a number of years ago because of my concerns with factory farming and a desire to decrease my carbon footprint. Now it's a way of life and I can't imagine going back. As a new Delegate, I look forward to working to pass legislation that promotes the humane treatment of animals.
Delegate Jim Gilchrist represents Maryland's 17th district, including the Rockville and Gaithersburg areas. He sits on
the joint committee on Children, Youth, and Families and the Environmental Matters Committee. Before entering
the House of Delegates, Del. Jim Gilchrist chaired the Alliance of
Rockville Neighborhood Associations and is currently on the Board of
Directors of the Potomac Area Council of Hostelling International. This is Del. Gilchrist's second year pledging to go veg as part of Maryland VegWeek.
For more about Maryland VegWeek, see photos from last year's campaign.