Tom Scholz Honored by FARM

BOSTON Rock Star Receives Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year Award

Tom Scholz, founder of the rock band BOSTON, was honored for his philanthropy work by the annual Animal Rights National Conference this evening in Los Angeles. He was presented with the Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year Award in recognition of his long-term support of animal rights. Scholz was accompanied by his wife Kim. Past recipients of this award include Alicia Silverstone, James Cromwell, Linda Blair, Charlotte Ross, Casey Kasem, Wendi Malick, Bill Maher and Dennis Kucinich.

In his remarks, Tom Scholz paid tribute to his friend and collaborator of 35 years, the late Brad Delp. Over the years, Scholz and Delp, also a longtime vegetarian and animal rights advocate, supported similar causes through their contributions they made to Scholz’s DTS Charitable Foundation. Scholz dedicated the award to Delp, who supported his work through the DTS Charitable Foundation to help protect all life from needless suffering. He explained that Brad Delp was a principal contributor to the foundation, which has helped many organizations like FARM USA. “His commitment to ethical vegetarianism over thirty years ago was a major factor in my emerging awareness of the unnecessary cruelty to animals in our society,” Scholz said.

Background

Nearly a thousand animal rights activists from throughout the U.S. and eight other countries rallied in at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles, CA on July 19-23 to review progress and to map national strategy for the coming year. Highlights included special sessions to defeat the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and reduce global warming, as well as eyewitness accounts of confrontational campaigns to save seals and whales. The annual Animal Rights 2007 National Conference featured more than 100 speakers representing 60 organizations from every sector of the animal protection movement. The Headliners included Elizabeth Kucinich, John Feldmann of the band Goldfinger, Tom Scholz of the rock band BOSTON, Paul Watson who confronted Japanese whalers, and Marianne Thieme elected to the Dutch parliament on an animal rights platform.

The program featured more than 100 sessions, including keynote addresses, video briefings on various forms of animal abuse, workshops on organizing and outreach skills, ideological ‘rap’ sessions, and campaign reports. Nearly 100 tables exhibited animal rights literature and merchandise. Scores of videos documented animal abuses and movement actions. The closing Awards Banquet featured winners of the Animal Rights Hall of Fame, Grassroots Animal Activist, and Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year Awards. A day of intensive skills training, lobbying, and demonstrations followed the Conference. The timing of the conference marked a massive shift toward public acceptance of animal rights. This is reflected in public opinion surveys, enactment of animal protection legislation, reduced use and improved care of animals in laboratories, and growing popularity of vegetarian foods. Animal Rights 2007 is sponsored by FARM (Farm Animal Reform Movement), a national public interest organization advocating wholesome, nonviolent plant-based eating. Cosponsoring organizations include In Defense of Animals, The Vegan Sage, VegNews Magazine, Vegetarian Times, and E/Environmental Magazine.

Florida Keys Deer, Kim and Tom Scholz. Photo credit Bob Summers