Billerica Student Among Finalists in peta2's 'Cutest Vegetarian' Contest

The Vote Is On as Billerica Resident Beats Out More Than 3,000 Contenders

For Immediate Release:
May 26, 2010

Contact:
Marta Holmberg 757-622-7382

Billerica, Mass. -- What does 14-year-old Billerica resident Alex-Chelsea Patterson have in common with country music cutie Kellie Pickler? Pickler was a winner of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest, and Patterson is one of the female finalists in the spin-off Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest sponsored by peta2, PETA's youth division. Patterson beat out more than 3,000 contestants from across the U.S. Supporters can vote for their hometown favorite by visiting peta2.com or by clicking here. Two winners (one male and one female) will be announced on June 8, and each will win a professional photo shoot and star in a peta2 ad.

"More and more Americans are going vegetarian every day, and young people are leading the charge," says peta2 director Dan Shannon. "It's no wonder: Vegetarians are slimmer, trimmer, and healthier, on average, than meat-eaters, so they're bound to be a lot cuter too!"

A high school freshman, Patterson was a vegetarian for four years before going vegan two years ago. She made the compassionate decision to change her diet after learning about how animals suffer on factory farms, and she has since convinced her 9-year-old brother and several of her friends to go vegetarian too. Patterson enjoys making vegetarian-themed YouTube videos and writing online posts about the benefits of a healthy and humane vegetarian diet.

To view photos and bios of all the finalists and to vote in the contest, please click here.