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From the Farm to the City…
Farm Sanctuary's Star-Studded "Gala for Farm Animals" Raises Awareness and Funds for Rescue, Shelter, and Protection Efforts

New York, NY - May 22, 2004 - New York's famous Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom filled with almost 500 celebrity guests and presenters, legislators, and activists in support of local farm animal shelter Farm Sanctuary at their "Gala for Farm Animals." Gala Chairperson and Hollywood Legend Mary Tyler Moore kicked off the night with a special screening of a documentary she produced with Farm Sanctuary, "Life Behind Bars," exposing the cruel confinement of cows, pigs and chickens on factory farms in America. Following the film, her uplifting speech about the progress of efforts toward ending farm animal abuse garnered a standing ovation from a teary-eyed audience.

Singer Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders was presented with a "Voice for Farm Animals" award for speaking out against factory farm cruelty, and treated guests to a powerful solo performance of the song "I'll Stand by You," with a backdrop of images depicting farm animal abuse contrasted with heartwarming shots of activists carrying battered, suffering animals to shelter. As presenter Elisabeth Moss of "The West Wing" noted, "'I'll Stand By You' is a song that is in many ways an "anthem" for the animal protection movement. This beautiful song celebrates the incredible bond between humans and animals, and our dream of a more humane world."

New York Senator Liz Krueger was honored with the "Legislative Friend of Farm Animals" award for her bold stance opposing the trade of "downer" animals. In the fall of 2003, Senator Krueger introduced legislation (S 5735) in New York state to ban this cruel, and all too common, industry practice. "Downers," sick, injured and diseased animals too weak to even stand, are often thrown onto dead piles, dragged with chains, pushed with forklifts and turned into human food. Her proposal requires critically ill and injured animals to be humanely euthanized or provided with needed veterinary care and would also prohibit their slaughter for human food.

New York City activist Mary Max, wife of artist Peter Max, was presented with the "Outstanding Activist for Farm Animals" award for her tireless efforts to raise awareness about factory farming abuses and promote compassion - including convincing dozens of upscale Manhattan restaurants to remove cruel veal from their menus. Farm Sanctuary's final award presentation was to Liberty, a bull who bravely ran for his life and escaped a slaughterhouse in New Jersey.

Eleven-year-old actress and vegetarian Hallie Kate Eisenberg, famous for her "Pepsi" and "Bravo" television commercials, joined with her like-minded acting classmates for a special performance of poetry, sketch comedy and song about being vegetarian kids, including a humorous spoof of the "The Brady Bunch," entitled "The Brady's Lunch."

The night was complete with a performance by the B-52s' Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider - who lit up the room and had the crowd roaring with excitement with popular songs such as "Love Shack" and "Roam." Special guests and presenters included Daytime Emmy Nominees Grant Aleksander of "Guiding Light" and James Reynolds of "Days of Our Lives," Linda Blair of "The Exorcist," Emma Caulfield of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Corey Feldman of "Lost Boys," "Gremlins," and "Goonies," Jill Larson of "All My Children," Patrick McDonnell "Mutts" cartoonist, internationally renowned artist Peter Max, Ally Sheedy of "The Breakfast Club," and Persia White on FOX's "Girlfriends."

Guests enjoyed a reception featuring a farm animal-inspired silent auction raising thousands of dollars for farm animals and hors d'oeuvres from faux shrimp cocktail to vegan "chicken" wings hosted by New York City's finest vegetarian restaurants: Candle Café, Caravan of Dreams, Counter, Foodswings, Lagusta's Luscious, Madras Café, Organic Grill, Quintessence, as well as The Plaza Hotel. To top off the evening, Plaza Hotel chefs prepared a 4-course gourmet vegan dinner fit for the stars including a greek salad of romaine lettuce, red and yellow pear tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, calamata olives, faux feta cheese and herb vinaigrette, a main course of: wild mushroom crusted tender of seitan with mushroom gravy served with carmelized shallot, purple mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, baby carrots with stems, and white turnips with maple glaze, and two dessert options -- citrus panna cotta infused with strawberry coulis, served with almond pain de genes, sweet tomatoes, candied calamata olives, and sesame seed puff pastry or a silky chocolate tofu brownie with pecan and cocoa grue served with fennel-infused soy ice cream and roasted saffron pineapple kebob with sugar cane coulis. This memorable meal showed hundreds of people that dinner can be decadent and delicious without harming a single animal-no meat, eggs, butter, milk or cream was used.

Emcees Mimi Kennedy of "Dharma and Greg" and Dan Piraro, "Bizarro" cartoonist, led the show with humor, wit and heart...leaving guests laughing one moment and crying the next.

On this night, many hearts and minds were opened to the suffering of farm animals, new activists and vegetarians were born, and Farm Sanctuary's efforts to end factory farm abuse were strengthened. Advocates gathered in honor and in defense of each farm animal on a factory farm, stockyard or slaughterhouse, and made a great leap forward on their behalf - toward a more humane future.

For additional photos or captions and hi-res versions of these photos, visit http://www.farmsanctuary.org/gala/post.htm.

For interviews about the event, video footage, additional photos, please contact Samantha Ragsdale at 607-583-2225 ext. 241 or gala@farmsanctuary.org.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.