Milwaukee Man Is Finalist in PETA's 'Sexiest Vegetarian' Contest

The Vote Is On--Winners Will Head Off to Maui for One Week

For Immediate Release:
March 26, 2010

Contact:
Kristina Addington 757-622-7382

Milwaukee -- What do Heroes hottie Milo Ventimiglia and country music crooner Kellie Pickler have in common? They are the reigning king and queen of PETA's annual Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest. PETA has now expanded the contest to include the Sexiest Vegetarians Next Door--one male and one female--and 33-year-old Milwaukee resident Loyal Mehnert beat out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become one of 10 male contestants to advance to the final round.

Born in London, Mehnert is an "extreme adventurer" who hiked the Appalachian Trail last year to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Mehnert says that his vegetarian diet gives him the energy to pursue his adventures and volunteer work. He will be visiting Haiti next month for more fundraising activity. Mehnert says that since going vegetarian 10 years ago, he feels more energetic and enjoys a variety of ethnic cuisines that he had never tried before. He shares his home with a rescued turtle and two rescued companion cats.

"On average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters are, and that makes them sexier too," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, who notes that vegetarians get all the protein, vitamins, and other nutrients that they need without consuming all the cholesterol and saturated fats that are found in meat and dairy products. "One look at our radiant lineup of sexy finalists and it's clear that they're all winners."

To see Mehnert's photo and bio, along with profiles of the other sexy vegetarian finalists, please click here. The second round of voting ends March 31, and the two winners will be announced on April 14. Each winner will spend seven nights in beautiful Maui, courtesy of the PETA Member Advantage Program.

For more information and to vote in the contest, please visit PETA.org or click here.