Galarama + Silent Auction: Benefit for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Image From Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Website

Galarama + Silent Auction: Benefit for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

PORTLAND, OR -- May 25, 2013. Vida Vegan Con weekend would not be complete without its fundraiser for an animal sanctuary, the Galarama. This open-to-the-public night of music, food, and fun will support Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

This casual evening features a cash bar featuring BridgePort craft brews, creative plant-based snacks, and the So Delicious Dairy Free Sundae Bar Spectacular. Emcee Brian “The Sexy Vegan” Patton and DJs Harry Skelter and MelisserAGoGo will set the scene for the Silent Auction, which includes items such as hotel and restaurant gift certificates, art, handbags, and food items, from donors including Susan Nichole and Bob’s Red Mill.

Image From Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Website

The Galarama will be held Saturday night, May 25, 7:00-9:30 p.m., at Staver Locomotive (2537 NW 29th Ave., Portland, OR 97210). The event is all ages.

General Admission tickets are available at Galarama.org/tickets. (VIP spots have already sold out.) Featured beverage donations, mobile food cart participation, and silent auction items are being sought. Contact Galarama.org@gmail.com for more information.

Vida Vegan Con, the vegan blog conference, is held May 24-26, 2013, bringing together more than 300 vegans from all over the world. The inaugural event received a 2011 VegNews Veggie Award as a “Vegan Lovefest.” The 2011 Galarama raised thousands for its beneficiary, Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Vida Vegan LLC is an independent body formed by Janessa Philemon-Kerp, Jess Sconè, and Michele Truty to foster vegan inspiration, education, and community.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest was founded in 2003 in Cle Elum, WA, to provide lifetime quality care for formerly abused and exploited chimpanzees while advocating for great apes.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest: chimpsanctuarynw.org
Galarama homepage: galarama.org
Staver Locomotive: staverlocomotive.com

Returning May 24-26, 2013 in Portland, OR!
@vidavegancon VVC on Facebook

Mash-Up Monday: Vegan Mofo and Blog Action Day

Today is a different kind of Mash-Up Monday.  Instead of mashing up two different foods, I am mashing up two different blog events.  Vegan Mofo and Blog Action Day.  This year's theme for Blog Action Day is the "Power of WE" and it couldn't have been a better topic for me this year.  This year I am all about the power of WE.  And just who is WE?  Technically, it's all of us, and what amazing things WE can accomplish when WE work together.

And to mix it up with Vegan Mofo, the Vegan Month of Food, I am going to tell you about how the power of WE pulled off a pretty vegan amazing event on Saturday night.  And for the purposes of this post WE are the FNA Foundation (Joni, Kristen, Carrie, Jennifer, Elizabeth), Danna, Wade (and the rest of the amazing folks at The Prospector in Long Beach), Exene Cervenka (Squee!) and the uber cool Petunia and the Vipers, Mike Hack and the generous team at Whole Foods Market, Tustin, and of course all of our friends, family, and new faces that came out to support this, our first ever, pop-up vegan food shack.

L-R: Elizabeth, Joni, Carrie, Kristen

So, what was the power of WE?  The girls and I who formed the FNA Foundation (which stands for Food-N-Art) wanted to give back to the communities that have given us so much.  None of us have enough scratch to just be giving it away, so WE decided that WE would donate our time and talents to putting together events that would raise awareness of healthful eating through fundraisers in which 100% of the proceeds would be donated to various charities throughout the community.  Each of us has our own talents to share, from marketing and graphic design, to art and fashion design, to cooking, blogging, painting, spinning fire, musicians, the list goes on and on!

Last Saturday WE all got together and chopped, cooked, boiled, steamed, baked, dipped, mixed and served up some pretty awesome vegan food to a crowd of folks out for a great night of drinks and music.  That's right kids...WE set up a vegan venue right outside of a steakhouse!  And, man was it well received by carnivores and herbivores alike!   So, WE got to do so much good!  WE got to expose lots of people to yummy vegan food.  WE got to spread the word about our foundation.  WE got to raise a bunch of money for the Whole Kids Foundation.  But most of all, WE got to have a great time with our friends, doing good deeds, and spreading the good vibes!

L-R: Me, Exene Cervenka and Carrie

What else can WE do to spread the vegan love?