IDA-Sponsored Veg Kids to Participate in UN’s World Environment Day

New York, N.Y.—The Veg Kids, an acclaimed troupe of professional young actors who attend the Acting Creatively school in New York City, will perform in the United Nations Department of Public Information's 7th annual student observance of World Environment Day. The videoconference event will be co-hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

When: Friday, June 1, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: United Nations, 1st Avenue and 47th Street

Ranging in age from 5 to 18, members of the Veg Kids already perform and star in major movies, television shows, Broadway plays, and operas. The Veg Kids are also a Roots & Shoots group sponsored by In Defense of Animals (IDA) which is co-led by IDA’s East Coast Director Valerie Sicignano and Acting Creatively founder Kerry Lea. World-famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall started the Roots & Shoots program to inspire youth to take action for animals, the environment, and other people. One of the coolest things the Veg Kids do is perform original songs promoting compassion for animals.

This year’s theme is "Melting Ice: A Hot Topic?" The program, which will be webcast, is an appropriate venue for the Veg Kids given the devastating impact that a meat-based diet has on our planet. Rainforests are leveled to raise cattle, factory farms pollute rivers and lakes, over-grazing of cattle erodes fertile land, and vast quantities of energy and water are wasted to raise animals for food. The Veg Kids’ message of compassion cautions that taking meat, dairy, and eggs off one’s plate can stop all this damage to the earth.