Expect to see protestors if you're spending some time at Ribfest in Kelowna City Park next weekend.
“A lot of people don’t know how animals are treated, a lot of people don’t know about the devastation to the environment, a lot of people don’t know that having a whole plant-based diet reverses diseases,” says Kim Gaalaas, one of the activists. The plan is to protest at least 6 times between August 24th and 26th, but Gaalaas has already sent a letter to the group organizing the fundraiser, the Kelowna Sunrise Rotary Club. In the letter she outlines 3 main concerns: Animal health, human health and environmental impact.
Gaalaas writes:
“We recognize the exemplary efforts of Rotary Clubs across Canada’s dedication to promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies.
She goes on to quote a section of Rotary’s Mission Statement:
“ to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty”.
“Intensive livestock operations are going to cause humanity to be scarce of water in not a very long period of time and this is what (Rotary Club) talks about, that is their mantra or causes, clean water,” says Gaalaas. “It’s not promoting peace. It’s not promoting fighting disease. In fact it’s the complete opposite. The World Health Organization has classed red meat as a Class 2 carcinogen and processed meat as a Class 1 carcinogen, causing cancer, and yet the money is being donated to a hospital and the whole festival is about eating meat…We wanted to meet with them to talk about changing the event to more align with their causes and what it is that they’re even donating to.”
Proceeds from this year's event will go to support JoeAnna's House, which will provide accommodations for families receiving specialized health care at Kelowna General Hospital.