COK kicked off the month of June by dishing out over 500 vegan pizza samples from Cruzer Pizza along with hundreds of Compassionate Choices and Easy Vegan Recipes to West Adams Preparatory High School students at its International Issues Advocacy Fair. We offered a variety of familiar flavors — BBQ chicken, Philly Cheese Steak, Hawaiian, Meat, and Margherita — and each one was a hit! Students were amazed by the taste and empowered to learn about the benefits of choosing plant-based foods. Plus, they were excited that Cruzer Pizza is only minutes away from school.
Throughout the month of June, teams of COK volunteers — from Los Angeles to Baltimore to Austin to Washington, DC — helped spread a message of compassion at several Pride celebrations.
Speaking with today’s inquisitive and energetic youth about compassion for animals can be one of the most encouraging and rewarding experiences. As a former teacher in DC, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a handful of schools, from elementary through high school, in and around the nation’s capital to meet with students and share information about animals, where our food comes from, and the many benefits of choosing vegetarian foods. 
Last Thursday evening, on June 9, as thousands of Glee fans flocked to Washington, DC’s Verizon Center for the sold-out “Glee Live!” concert, COK interns and volunteers were on hand with trays of free vegan food and stacks of pro-vegetarian literature. 
During the spring and summer months, community-based festivals pop up everywhere, and they offer amazing opportunities to reach out to others about the benefits of leaving animals off our plates. Last weekend, Compassion Over Killing staff and volunteers were hard at work in both Washington, DC and Los Angeles staffing educational booths at two popular events: Strut Your Mutt on May 21 and WorldFest on May 22.
COK staff and volunteers were out on the streets of DC again to promote compassion: this time, in front of the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium. On May 2, before the game started, we gave away over 100 free Field Roast vegan sausauge samples to veg-curious passersby! The response was wonderful: in addition to dozens of people asking where they could get veggie hot dogs and sausages, several people came back after tasting the Field Roast to tell us how much they liked it and to pick up more information about vegetarian eating to share with their friends and family. 
This summer, encouraging a friend or family member to choose vegan foods can be as easy as taking them to a movie, thanks to two new documentaries highlighting the benefits of vegan eating: 