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California Man Raises Awareness About Plight of Farm Animals in Second Annual Stand-up Paddle Around Lake Tahoe

Inspiring Advocate Stands Up for Animals Languishing on Factory Farms in Creative Fundraiser for Farm Sanctuary

Kings Beach, Calif. – August 30, 2010 – With his second annual Stand Up for Farm Animals fundraiser, local farm animal advocate John Merryfield is rewriting the standard rules of activism. Instead of hitting the streets, Merryfield is hitting the lake, completing a stand-up paddle around the circumference of Lake Tahoe to bring awareness to the plight of our nation’s farm animals and raise money for Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization.

Merryfield will take approximately two full days to paddle the 72-mile perimeter of the lake, beginning September 10. He will be accompanied by a kayak full of supplies and possibly several other paddlers. Undoubtedly it will be an exhausting endeavor, but Merryfield notes, “It doesn't seem that strenuous nor that long when I think about the farm animals around the country for whom standing up is either torture, as for egg-laying hens in battery cages, or a liberty not afforded to them, like pigs trapped in gestation crates and calves confined in veal crates.”

Last year, Merryfield’s unique fundraiser raised $3,050. “We are grateful and excited that John has decided to complete another lap around the lake for farm animals,” said Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur. “Last year, the Lake Tahoe event was very successful. It illustrates how making a difference can be as simple as discovering what you are good at and finding a way to transform it into activism. Whether you are an amateur vegan chef or a businessperson, a fashion designer or an outdoors enthusiast, there are many ways you can raise awareness and help create change.”

Merryfield and friends will set off on September 10, at 8:00 a.m., in Kings Beach, Calif., across from Tahoe Paddle and Oar. He welcomes other paddlers who want to join him for all or part of the paddle to call 530-583-6190. Donations can be made on his web page, www.firstgiving.com/johnmerryfield.

For those who prefer to promote compassion for farm animals on dry land, Farm Sanctuary’s annual Walk for Farm Animals will take place in more than 75 cities across the U.S. and Canada this September and October. To find the Walk nearest you, visit www.walkforfarmanimals.org.

To speak with John Merryfield or Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur, please contact Meredith Turner at 646-369-6212, mturner@farmsanctuary.org or John Merryfield at johnmerryfield@aol.com, 530-583-6190.

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 farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.