A Minor Rant and Bluster

Today’s post is somewhat of a rant. Apologies in advance.

Wednesday was the last planning meeting for the Tour de Cure committee before the ride on June 11th. We talked about the final preparations for the ride. The person who is over the food went over the final food arrangements: Pasta at the lunch stop and BBQ from a local restaurant at the finish.

I asked if there were going to be any vegan options available for dinner. A flat-out no was his reply, not a “not really”, but a no. He did say that there would be gluten-free options available.

I don’t expect the world to alter itself to me just because I have chosen to avoid animal products, and I’m not asking them to make the entire meal vegan friendly, but having a vegan or vegetarian friendly option would be nice. I can’t be the only vegan or vegetarian who is going to be riding his bicycle on the 11th, can I?

I think part of my questioning of their not offering any non-meat options came after I read about Steve-O of Jackass fame. He was slated to appear at an ADA charity event, but left in protest after he learned that meat was to be served. 

I can understand Steve-O’s reasons, but I don’t think the better good was served by him storming out. I think he could have used it better as an opportunity to reinforce the benefits of a plant-based diet for diabetics.

I’m not planning on staging a protest of the ride, or storming out because they are serving meat, but I question their food choices somewhat, especially considering that this ride is in support of the ADA, and a large number of participants are diabetic.

So, I guess that I’ll be filling up at the lunch stop on pasta and marinara (I hope they have marinara), and going somewhere after to get some food.

The irony of this is that the committee meetings are catered, and the event manager always makes sure that I have something vegan-friendly to eat at the meetings.