High School Senior Nabs PETA Award for Veggie-Burger Campaign and More

18-Year-Old Honaker Resident Helps Homeless Animals in His Community, Advocates for an End to Dissection

For Immediate Release:
February 10, 2016

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Whether he’s taking on the fur trade in his community or holding a successful food and toy drive for his local animal shelter, 18-year-old Jeremy Whited has become Honaker’s hometown hero for animals—and now peta2, PETA’s youth division, is recognizing his outstanding efforts with a Hero to Animals Award. A high school senior, Whited successfully persuaded his school cafeteria to integrate a healthy, delicious veggie burger into the menu. And he’s never one to back down from a challenge, passing out leaflets in his spare time to promote an end to both classroom dissection and the fur trade. “From person to person, we can make the world a better place for all living creatures,” says Whited, also a member of peta2’s Youth Advisory Board, through which he advises staff on evolving campaigns.

“Whited’s boundless energy and kind spirit make him a star in our book,” says peta2 Senior Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. “As demand for delicious vegan options surges among young people, activists like Whited are making sure that they have the healthy, delicious options they’re clamoring for.”

Anyone can be a hero to animals by ditching meat and dairy foods, choosing only fur-free clothing, and adopting rather than buying companion animals. peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—will feature Whited on its Heroes page. He’ll also receive a framed certificate.

For more information on ways that young people can help animals, please visit peta2.com.