Vegan Vying for Miss Illinois Title

After being crowned Miss Chicago in March, vegan pageant queen Marisa Buchheit is now hoping to ascend to the title of Miss Illinois, and eventually, Miss America. In a new interview with animal-welfare organization Mercy For Animals, Buchheit shares that she has been an ethical vegan since age 12 and tries to extol the benefits of a plant-based diet to friends and family whenever possible, even inspiring her father to go vegan seven years ago. She also intends to continue performing and appearing at vegan and vegetarian festivals and parades around the country, and, if crowned Miss Illinois or Miss America, to speak out about healthy lifestyle decisions and veganism’s ties with sustainability. The Miss Illinois pageant will take place from June 27 to 30.