Six tofu turkey roasts, large pans of stuffing and mashed potatoes, and one vat of vegan gravy were sampled by UF students Wednesday afternoon.
The Thanksgiving event, held on Plaza of the Americas, was organized by the UF’s Student Animal Alliance and sponsored by PETA.
As part of its college outreach program, PETA gave $150 to fund the event. Along with food, the student group gave out vegan recipe books and coupons.
Christina Bicknell, a 20-year-old UF public relations junior, helped bring the event to campus.
Bicknell works as the campus representative for peta2, PETA’s youth division.
“We really wanted to educate college students on how beneficial, tasty and affordable a vegan lifestyle can be,” the Student Animal Alliance president said. “The holiday season is a great time to explore vegan options.”
Scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the event ended early after running out of food. The organizations served 337 people, 200 more than expected.
UF English junior Leigh Markowitz has volunteered with the Student Animal Alliance since her freshman year. She said her hope for the event was for people who were die-hard meat eaters to come and try out the food.
“One of my friends came by and tried it,” Markowitz, 20, said. “He had the Tofurky and he was like, ‘Wow, this is actually really good!’ So that made me happy because I get mocked a lot, but he really enjoyed it. That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
She said handing out fliers and recipe books could help interested students learn more about becoming vegan.
Raised as a vegetarian, Markowitz became vegan five years ago. She said because all of her immediate family members are also vegan, it’s easy to enjoy a cruelty-free dinner during the holiday season.
“I feel bad for a lot of my vegetarian and vegan friends whose families aren’t supportive around the holidays,” she said. “My roommate from last year is vegan, and she’s actually coming to my family’s Thanksgiving this year.”
Nick Johnson, a UF geography and sustainability studies sophomore, has been a vegan for four months and was excited to attend Wednesday’s event. The 19-year-old is one student who isn't so lucky when it comes to family support.
“Some of my family members have been a little bit resistant to it,” he said. “I’ll mention it and they’ll think it’s silly or trivial or that it’s just not a big issue.”
But Johnson said his parents are supportive of his alternative lifestyle.
“For Thanksgiving, they will have some options for me,” he said. “The stuffing they make is vegan, and they’re still going to have turkey, but they’ll also have a Tofurky or some substitute.
It’s just one meal.”
He said being vegan may be easier for students in college towns.
“I'm from Tampa, and I’ve actually seen a lot more vegan options in Gainesville,” he said. “A lot of local restaurants have good vegan options, especially at places like The Top and The Jones B-Side.”
