Billerica Teen Wins peta2's 'Cutest Vegetarian Alive' Contest

Fourteen-Year-Old Beats Out Contenders to Claim Crown 

For Immediate Release:
June 9, 2010

Contact:
Marta Holmberg 757-622-7382

Billerica, Mass. -- Fourteen-year-old Billerica resident Alex-Chelsea Patterson was chosen from among 10 female finalists--and thousands of female nominees--as the female winner of the fifth annual Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest. The contest was organized by peta2, PETA's youth division. Alex-Chelsea's photo and bio are available here.

"Alex-Chelsea exemplifies the best in today's youth because she has made showing kindness to others an important part of her life," says peta2 Director Dan Shannon. "As a vegan, she not only is a great example for others but also saves the lives of about 100 animals a year."

Alex-Chelsea decided to go vegetarian after viewing images of animals killed for food, and she went vegan after she learned that eggs and dairy products also cause animal suffering on a massive scale. Her compassion is apparently contagious: Several of her friends and a few family members also kicked the meat habit after Alex-Chelsea showed them some hard-hitting peta2 videos about factory farming. Alex-Chelsea writes articles for her school newspaper, covering a wide range of topics, including vegetarianism and animal rights. She is interested in modeling, enjoys drawing, and says that she can't wait to attend this year's Vans Warped Tour. As the winner, Alex-Chelsea will receive a professional photo shoot and star in her own peta2 ad.

The Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest is a spin-off of PETA's wildly popular Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest, in which visitors to the group's Web site vote to help PETA decide who should be crowned their favorite vegetarian celebrities. For more information, please visit peta2.com.