Sweet VegWeek 2017 Success!

VegWeek 2017 has been a sweet success, empowering thousands of people to explore meatless eating thanks to the hundreds of people who recruited friends and family to join the fun, and our amazing VegWeek Endorsers and Partners who offered motivation and encouragement!

Here are a few highlights from the VegWeek food and fun.

Thousands Explore Veg Eating

From April 17 through April 23, more than 5,000 people explored the joys of plant-based eating…enjoying more than 13,300 meat-free meals each day! Many shared photos of their delicious dishes on social media to inspire friends and followers, like this tweet from VegWeek Endorser and Olympic medalist Dotsie Bausch. Browse delicious dishes on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for hashtag #VegWeek2017.

Celebrity Inspiration

VegPledgers were joined by compassionate celebrities and public figures who signed on as VegWeek Endorsers to encourage fans to choose meatless eating. Moby, Emily Deschanel, Mya, Alicia Silverstone, DJ Cavem, Belinda Carlisle, John Lewis (Bad Ass Vegan), Daisy Fuentes, and many other stars signed on as VegWeek Endorsers: See who else walked the “green carpet” this year!

Empowering Others

COK sends our thanks to our Recruiters who helped others to join VegWeek. We motivated Recruiters with a chance at exciting prizes…and drumroll, please…our top Recruiter this year is Tracye McQuirter! Tracye, also a VegWeek Endorser, recruited an impressive 228 people, and she wins a not-even-on-the-market-yet Almond Cow (you can pre-order one here)!

Pledges for the Planet

Coinciding with the week of Earth Day, VegWeek puts the planetary power of a plant-based diet in the spotlight. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, resource depletion, deforestation, ocean dead zones, and more. By pledging for VegWeek, thousands joined together in protecting the planet we share simply by choosing delicious plant-based foods.

Veg Eating on the Political Map

VegWeek first launched in 2009 with inspiration from now-US Congressman Jamie Raskin, who remarked that a simple way each of us could help the protect the planet is to choose vegetarian foods at least one week out of the year. Rep. Raskin joined us an Endorser again this year, saying “VegWeek rocks”!

San Diego and California officials elected to try veg eating, joining thousands of others in taking the 7-Day VegPledge. US Rep. Scott Peters even issued a VegWeek proclamation in San Diego’s 52nd District.

Powered by Plants

Vegan pro-sports stars touted the many health benefits of plant-based eating. These athletes definitely crush the myth that you can’t get enough protein from plants, from award-winning bodybuilder Torre Washington, to Olympian Seba Johnson, MMA fighter Aaron Simpson, and surfer Tia Blanco.

COK & UCLA Partner to Reduce Animal Products in School Lunches

UCLA spread the news during VegWeek about an exciting partnership with COK that’s helping California schools to replace meat with healthy plant-based proteins in school lunches. Learn more!

Keep going!

You can make a difference for animals, the planet, and your health one week, one day, one meal at a time! Visit TryVeg.com for recipes, tips, blogs, and so much more to help you along the way.

We hear from many happy and inspired VegPledgers who feel great after their VegWeek experience and choose to keep on going by reducing or eliminating their consumption of meat and other animal products.
See inspiring VegPledger feedback below:

“I feel wonderful, light and peaceful. I couldn’t imagine going back to eating animal products.”

“I loved it!! I am a changed person. Loving my new whole food Plant based diet!”

“Thank you VegWeek! I am now a self proclaimed ovo-vegetarian with veganism in my sights. I have never felt better about myself.” 

“I found VegWeek incredibly rewarding! Once becoming vegetarian I felt amazing, and I didn’t think I could feel any better until I participated in VegWeek! Even just doing it for a week, eating a plant-based diet has showed such rewarding effects.”