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Outstanding Activist!
You
may recognize Michael Walsh as "the friendly guy who served dessert"
at several of Farm Sanctuary's New York City events. But if you've ever
really met Michael, you probably know two very important things about
him: He loves farm animals, and he's always cooking up something to help
make a difference in their lives. That's why it's no surprise that he's
continually stirring up awareness in the Big Apple, where he hosts and
helps with events and engages in community outreach activities that counteract
the exploitation of the animals for whom he cares so deeply.
A vegan of 14 years, Michael was first persuaded to eliminate products of cruelty from his diet by a girlfriend and John Robbins' Diet for a New America. Prior to his first visit to Farm Sanctuary in 2002, Michael had already saved the lives of countless farm animals by refusing to eat meat, milk and eggs, but had not yet embarked on his journey as an animal activist. With his new friends at Farm Sanctuary, Michael soon began participating in events and fundraisers, lending his priceless experience as a veteran caterer and his calm, friendly demeanor to the 2003 Farm Animal Forum, 2004 Gala for Farm Animals and the 2007 Benefit for Compassion.
Knowing he couldn't pass up the opportunity to use the bustling surroundings of New York City to get the word out about farm animal suffering, Michael has taken to the streets to help promote our Adopt-A-Turkey Project and even became the caretaker of one of our most important outreach tools-a TV used for tabling in Penn Station. Additionally, Michael hosts his own yearly Vegan Cookie Party, a seasonal animal-friendly treat swap intended to showcase vegan baking skills and build up participants' collections of tasty sweets to take home for the holidays. "Being the only vegan in my house," he explains, "I got sick of sitting by while everyone else nibbled on sweets at Christmas. So I did something about it." That "something" has grown during the past two years and shows no sign of stopping.
Michael's commitment to farm animals and to Farm Sanctuary also shows through his sponsorship of two very special animals at our New York Shelter-Chloe turkey and Terrin pig. By donating to us every month, Michael helps to provide food, housing and medical care for Chloe. His sponsorship of Terrin was a very special Christmas gift that hasn't stopped giving, and Michael hopes to come visit his newly adopted friend soon.
All in all, Michael doesn't consider himself to be an "activist." "It is not a word I would use to describe myself," he explains. "This [Activist of the Month feature] for me is a great reminder of how simple it can be to do something effective… Never underestimate your power to help bring about change." We couldn't agree more.
Thank
you, Michael, for your commitment to farm animals. You inspire us to use
every opportunity-big or small-to make a difference.
Together, we ARE making a difference. If you would like to find out more about volunteering your time to educate others about factory farming and vegetarianism, please contact us at activist@farmsanctuary.org, or call 607-583-2225 ext. 229. Click here to find out what YOU can do to help!