Ghent celebrates Veggie Day

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International Vegetarian Union reports 4/29/10On Thursday, May 6, starting at 11 a.m. the city of Ghent (Belgium), will celebrate the anniversary of the Thursday Veggie Day-campaign on the Groentenmarkt (Vegetable Square). Everyone who commits to participate in a weekly veggie day will receive Ghent's tastiest sandwich, which is to be revealed on this day. In addition, we're introducing the brand new Thursday Veggie Day Cookbook and TV-celebrity Evy Guyaert will present her new start To Veggie book. Councilman Tom Balthazar takes stock of one year of Thursday Veggie Day and new campaign-material will be presented.International following!When the city of Ghent announced its support EVA's Thursday Veggie Day-campaign in May 2009, it got worldwide coverage. Until this day, EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative) and the city of Ghent are visited weekly by international journalists who enthusiastically report about this phenomenon, from Time Magazine to Tokyo's national TV. Ghent's example spread throughout the world: in the meanwhile the Belgian cities of Hasselt, Mechelen, as well as Sao Paulo, Bremen, *San Francisco and Cape Town have followed Ghent's lead.Second Veggie happening: everything veggie!On May 6 between 11:30 and 2 p.m. the second Veggie happening will take place on the Groentenmarkt:-Tom Balthazar, councilman for the environment, will blow out a candle on the Thursday Veggie Day vegetable cake. He will take stock of 1 year of Thursday Veggie Day in Ghent. What are the results after 12 months?-The mayor of the first non-Flemish Belgian city (we're keeping it a secret) will proclaim Thursday Veggie Day in his hometown.-We're also presenting two new veggie cookbooks:-the official Thursday Veggie Day Cookbook by Miki Duerinck and Kristin Leybaert: for every Thursday of the year a tasty recipe based on the seasonal ingredients.-the Start to Veggie book by Evy Gruyaert with hints for a greener living.The cookbooks will be signed by the authors and sold with a discount to whoever commits to participating in Thursday Veggie Day.-Further on there will be information and tasting booths about all possible alternatives for meat: tofu, seitan, beans, lentils and chickpeas will have no more secrets for the visitors.-new campaign-material: a comprehensive educational package for schools, an English Veggie Guide to Ghent for tourists and a new Thursday Veggie Day-guide.-entertainment and music: on the 6th of May, vegetables will conquer the Groentenmarkt. People in vegetable-costumes will walk around trying to convince the guests to sign the declaration of engagement. Pure Vida Productionz will take care of the atmosphere with a dj-set. *Dixie Mahy of SF Vegetarian Society and Hope Bohanec of IDA were instrumental in getting VEG DAY MONDAY RESOLUTION passed by San Francisco Board of Supervisors sponsored by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell. They hope other U.S. cities will follow suit and that next year San Francisco will celebrate one year as flamboyantly as Ghent. Anyone who would like to help getting restaurants to sign up with special veg offerings on Mondays should contact Dixie <dixiemahy or Hope <hope.