We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to long-time volunteers who have retired recently or in recent months from their monthly activities. Please join us in acknowledging their dedication and efforts in making the Bay Area a more veg-friendly and compassionate world for all beings. They are indeed Veggie Important People in our books.

Big big thank you to

• Carol who has organized the San Jose KFC Cruelty protest (2005 - 2009)
• Sara who started the East Bay Letter Writing Party (2005 - 2008)
• Dana whose letter writing party has travelled from SF to the South Bay (2007 - 2009)
• Sharon who founded the monthly dinner at Fragrance Land (2007 - 2009)

If you enjoyed these activities and would like to see them continue, please think about hosting. BAVeg is an entirely volunteer-run organization, and each of us truly determines what happens or doesn't happen for the group.

• Dust off your baking pans and get ready for the First Annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale! Join Robin to participate in this fun event, scheduled for June 2009.

• Memorial Day vegan camping trip: This trip to Redwood National and State Parks is an easy, relaxing trip to see the world's tallest trees as well as some of the last remaining old growth redwood forests. The park also boasts miles of pristine, rocky beaches and herds of Roosevelt elk.

• Grab a partner and make your way to Farm Sanctuary for a weekend of good old-fashioned fun on May 16th-17th in Orland, CA. There will be hayrides, sanctuary time with the animals, and a barn dance with live music, guest speakers, including author and ethologist Marc Bekoff, attend mouthwatering veggie cooking classes led by vegan chef Jason Wyrick, and a wonderful vegan feast on Saturday night

• It rained on our Animal Rights Philosophy Discussion! Rescheduled to Sunday June 7th due to rain on the original date, so if you missed it the first time around, you've got another chance!

• Teaching High School Students Wellness: Thanks to Denise, when the Ida B. Wells High School asked us to give a talk on vegetarianism for the school’s April 2nd Wellness Day, we were able to help.

Does each person who goes vegetarian really make a difference? You bet! Check out this information from the AnimalVisuals.org website. "In 2008, over 9 billion chickens, 116 million pigs, and 35 million cows were killed for food. The food choices you make every day determine the difference between life and death for intelligent, sensitive individuals."

Enjoy Vegetarian has opened a new restaurant in Chinatown, their 2nd location in SF. In mid-April, we reported that the lease for the Café Gratitude on 9th Ave. (near Irving) expires on May 1st. They may go month-to-month until a new tenant signs the lease. Once there is a new tenant, this location will close.

For more details on the above, and regular updates, check out our Guide News blog

Have Your Say -- voice your opinion with an Ultimate Guide review. With 1,657 reviews in the Ultimate Guide, these vegetarian restaurants are ranked the best.

Top Ten Vegetarian Restaurants

1) Merit Vegetarian, Sunnyvale - 4.71
2) Vegetarian House, San Jose - 4.57
3) Garden Fresh, Mtn View - 4.56
4) Pizza Plaza, Oakland - 4.52
5) Vital Ital Calabash - 4.46
6) The Happy Bamboo, San Jose - 4.41
7) Good Karma, San Jose - 4.38
8) Cha-Ya, Berkeley - 4.33
9) Millennium, SF - 4.3
10) Cafe Gratitude, SF - 4.21 (New)

Happy Mother's Day! And that goes out to everyone who nurtures, loves and cares for someone small. BAV has some really cool parents on the list, raising veg kids, and we've also got countless folks who love and care for rescued dogs, cats, rats, birds, cows, chickens, and pigs. So Happy Mom Day to everyone from Bay Area Veg!

Mother's Day seems to revolve around a big breakfast, and that just doesn't work for me. Old fashioned breakfasts are made from lots of eggs and milk. Eggs and milk come from mother cows and mother chickens. It's the food their bodies create for their babies, but we take it away to give ourselves heart disease and cancer. Could anything be LESS celebratory of Mother's Day?!?

This year, try some vegan goodies for your mom (or for yourself, if all your "kids" are furry and can't be trusted to use the stove).

05/09 Vulcan Vegetarian Matinee - SF
05/12 Happy Bamboo Dinner - San Jose
05/17 KFC Cruelty Protest - SF
05/23 Camping in Redwoods Park - Orick, CA 95555
05/27 Garden Fresh Vegan Dinner - Mountain View
05/30 Veg Outreach & Education at Maker Faire - San Mateo County Fairgrounds
05/31 Fuel Your Compassion into Action Vegan Food Party - Oakland

06/04 Vegan Dinner at Loving Hut - Palo Alto
06/07 Food for Thought Book Club: Animals Rights Philosophy & Picnic - rescheduled - TBD
06/09 Happy Bamboo Dinner - San Jose
06/14 Vegan Book Club Discussion - SF
06/14 Have a Heart, Go Veg Leafleting at Haight Street Fair - SF
06/14 KFC Cruelty Protest - SF
06/27 SF Pride - Veg outreach / Education - SF
06/28 Walk with us in the Pride Parade: Love and Let Live - SF

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For latest news and events for Bay Area Vegetarians, check out the News Blog and Event Calendar. We don't always announce it, but event photos are added periodically to the gallery, too.