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1970
Birth of the concept of building a Gentle World,
and the gathering of like-minded people, living the vegan ideal.
1974
Bought first property Brooksville, FL.
Built extensions; planted gardens and worked toward our common goal.
Experimented with substitutes for meat and dairy products in vegan
cooking
and devised many of the recipes that have since become classics.
1979
Gentle World became incorporated in the state of Florida
1980
Published one of the first vegan cookbooks in USA:
The Cookbook For People Who Love Animals,
which has since sold about 85,000 copies.
1982
Gentle World became
an official non-profit educational organization,
recognized by the Federal government.
1983
Bought 100 acres with houses in Umatilla, Florida.
Dr. Michael Klaper joined us to expand our center into a health clinic,
where we welcomed individuals in need of care.
100% of patients improved and many were cured of their illnesses.
1983–1989
Gentle Art created murals, greeting cards
and t-shirts.
Our own
recording studio was developed, which created “Songs for a Gentle
World”.
Gentle Catering brought veganism into the homes of many local people.
Gentle World began giving free seminars, cooking classes, private
consultations,
and served as a clearing house of vegan information, as we do to this
day.
At our Umatilla center, we held interviews with the press, which
resulted in TV spots,
and articles in newspapers about Gentle World.
Expanded our culinary skills.
1987
Produced the first Celebrity Vegetarian Banquet in Beverly Hills,
hosted by Casey Kasem and co-sponsored by River Phoenix.
Many celebrities attended, such as
Danny Glover, Drew Barrymore, Alan Thicke,
Earl Holliman, Sheena Easton and others.
Both Dr. Klaper and Gabriel Cousins were key speakers.
The food was a great success.
Published The Book of Light and Love is the Only Reality.
1988
Produced the Second Celebrity Vegetarian Banquet
at the home of Fit For Life’s Marilyn and Harvey Diamond –
also hosted by Casey Kasem, and co-sponsored by River Phoenix.
Dr. Michael Klaper and John Robbins were key speakers.
This affair was more elaborate than the first, attended by Sidney
Poitier, Emma Samns,
Valerie Harper, Stephen Bishop, Tony Robbins, Keith Carradine
and Martha Plimpton, to name a few.
With all those celebrities, the food was the star of the show.
Published two resource books by Dr. Klaper:
Vegan Nutrition, Pure & Simple
and Pregnancy, Children & The Vegan Diet,
1989
Opened The Vegan Restaurant in Maui,
which became the first
all-vegetarian restaurant in the Hawaiian Islands.
The delicious food
and generous portions attracted even non-vegetarians,
and became a
gathering place for health and environmentally-conscious people.
The vegan message was literally a part of the menu.
Began our offering of free meals island-wide, to the homeless, those
with AIDS,
The United Way, Women Helping Women, and individuals,
a
practice which we continue to this day.
1991
Developed a wholesale vegan food business, serving stores throughout
Maui.
Built a large center on our land, in which we held free seminars,
cooking classes and private consultations.
1992
Published A Newer Age by Sun.
1994
Developed a wheatgrass growing business,
providing Maui health food
stores and restaurants with fresh wheatgrass.
Gentle World members went to Costa Rica.
Seminar/cooking demonstration
held in Tronadora.
Visited personal homes, restaurants and hotels and
gave talks, lectures and cooking demos. Traveled through Central
America, sometimes taking over hotel kitchens,
teaching the staff and cooking for everyone.
1995
Produced Natural Living Expo in Florida with Brook Katz and Michael
Klaper.
Over 300 people attended. Covered by radio and newspaper.
1996
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Vegetarian Summerfest.
1997
Held a seminar at our center with Dr. Michael A. Klaper as key speaker,
which was televised and shown on local Maui TV for several years.
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Vegetarian Summerfest.
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Animal Rights 1997.
1998
Seminar given in Australia for over 100 people.
Received TV and
newspaper coverage,
as well as being covered by Vegan Voice magazine.
1999
Purchased property on the
North Island of New Zealand.
Gentle World members catered the Convergence gathering in New Zealand,
feeding 500 people vegan food for 10 days, two meals a day.
Gave cooking
classes and workshops.
Moved from Maui to the
Big Island.
Gentle World members helped produce the first Worldfest in San Diego.
2000
Convergence gathering (see above)
World Millenium Rainbow Gathering - Gentle World members catered for
2000 people. Workshops given on Vegan Lifestyle.
Published our new cookbook and vegan sourcebook -
Incredibly Delicious: The Vegan Paradigm
Cookbook.
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Animal Rights 2000.
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Vegetarian Summerfest.
Gentle World members helped produce the second Worldfest in LA.
2001
Talk on Vegan lifestyle in Auckland, New Zealand.
Three seminars given
in Christchurch as well as radio and newspaper interviews.
Volunteered
with SAFE (NZ’s main animal rights organization)
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Animal Rights 2001.
Gentle World members helped organize and cater Vegetarian Summerfest.
2000–2002
Focused our efforts on constructing our New Zealand center, which we
call
Shangri-La.
Have since planted several
veganic gardens and about 200 fruit trees,
renovated the old
farm-house and cabin, taken down corral and fencing
and are turning it
into a health and nature retreat center.
2003–2005
Time and energy put into
web development and improving our two centers.
Hosted public seminars
and film screenings of Peaceable Kingdom and The Witness.
Participated in Kohala Country Fair in Hawaii where we served delicious,
nutritious vegan fare to local people and showcased many vegan products.
2006–2007
Continued with cooking & nutrition classes at our centers
Participated in radio show in New Zealand
Nutrition seminar given at a Northland PolyTech College in New Zealand
Booth done at Kohala Fair annually.
Development started for new website, www.TheVeganLife.com. |