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Contact: Johanna McCloy Veggie Dogs in the World Series ! Oakland, CA (October 21, 2002): Baseball fans are lining up for vegetarian hot dogs at San FranciscoÕs Pacific Bell Park. In fact, the Portwalk Pizza concession stand offering veggie dogs and veggie burgers has sold out of them by the seventh and eighth innings of recent games. The ballpark selling the most soy dogs is now in the World Series. Perhaps other sports arenas should take note!In 2000, there were no MLB stadiums offering vegetarian hot dogs. This started to change when actress and consumer activist Johanna McCloy began making the pitch for the inclusion of healthy and tasty alternatives on ballpark menus. JohannaÕs endeavor generated such enthusiastic response from consumers and media alike, that she formed an organization called Soy Happy, dedicated to the inclusion and promotion of tasty vegetarian alternatives in all mainstream venues. Ballpark concession managers have taken heed. In two years, Soy Happy has helped to open the door to veggie dogs at ten Major League Baseball stadiums. Why this new trend? In America, the vegetarian alternative category has grown by double digits annually for the past five years, with the growth rate expected to continue at 25-30%. The majority of consumers buying and eating these products are not vegetarians. They are mainstream Americans who are looking for ways to reduce the amount of meat in their diet and who have found vegetarian alternatives to satisfy those cravings while also offering great health benefits Health-conscious Giants fans no longer have to miss out on the all-American tradition of a hot dog at the ball game. They no longer have to eat at home or bring their own food. They can enjoy all the pleasure of traditional ballpark fare, with none of the guilt. Vegetarian hot dogs offer the health benefits of high protein, zero fat, zero cholesterol, and low sodium. In addition, Pac Bell Park offers Yves Veggie CuisineÕs ÒGood DogÓ, which is certified kosher, vegan and non GMO, making this tasty dog appealing to an even wider spectrum of fans.Neal Barnard, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says "Frankly, I think soy hot dogs are their secret weapon. They are not loaded down with all that fat and cholesterol that have turned some other teams into such--dare we say?--weenies." For more information go to http://www.soyhappy.org |