The first few months of 2011 have been a flurry of activity for Shark Truth. From Lunar New Year celebrations, to wedding fairs, to preparing for our 2011 Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest, we have been working hard to promote awareness, education and action around to protect sharks and Stop the Soup.
Chinese New Year Celebrations 
In February, you might have spotted some out-of-water shark mascots at the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. In partnership with Wake Project, our shark mascots took the streets to give out free ‘Shark Hugs’ and show friends that sharks are not as dangerous as they’re made out to be (death by shark attacks is less than four each year, worldwide). Check out some of the photos here.
Empowering Wedding Couples to Stop the Soup 
This fall, we attended three major wedding shows: the Bling Wedding Show, the Vancouver Wedding Show, and most notably, the Annual Wedding Fair that had a turnout of 3,000 brides, grooms and family members. Shark fin soup is most popularly served at wedding banquets so we encouraged couples to take a stand to protect sharks and Stop the Soup.
Here are some pictures from the fair. A big thank you to our generous sponsors, realWeddings.
Making Headlines 
Shark Truth Founder, Claudia Li, was interviewed for a story in the Georgia Straight about common cultural misconceptions around shark fin soup:
“Oftentimes, elders will say to me: ‘If you’re trying to remove shark fin from our tradition, then you’re removing a part of Chinese culture.’ But that’s not true, because are they saying that Chinese people who cannot afford shark fin are any less Chinese?”
Read her take on its role in Chinese tradition and the full article in the Straight.
The story of Shark Truth’s birth was featured in an opinion piece in the Solutions Journal – a publication showcasing bold and innovative ideas for solving ecological, social and economic problems. Claudia reflects on her first memory of trying shark fin soup:
“I first encountered the dish when I was young, accompanying my mom on one of her business dinners at an upscale Chinese restaura
nt. I remember her dressing me up for what I was told would be a “special dinner.” The chairs in the restaurant were cushioned and embroidered—I was so small my feet couldn’t reach the floor. She told me I was going to be eating something very special and expensive. It turned out to be shark fin soup. When I tried it, it just seemed like thickened chicken broth in a fancy bowl. The fins provided no flavor, but lots of status.“
Finish reading the story in the Solutions Journal.
Our Wedding Contest Returns 
After last year’s successful launch, the Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding returns in 2011. This year, we’ve chosen Hawaii as our grand prize destination to highlight last year’s Bill that passed banning possession and sale of shark fin. Our goal is to secure commitments from 38 couples who will pledge to protect sharks and Stop the Soup at their wedding banquet.
The contest will launch at the end of April and you can sign up to be an Early Bird entry here for a chance to win a dinner for two at Vij’s Restaurant here*. More exciting news to come soon.
*Early Bird prize only available for Greater Vancouver Regional District contestants.
I love Harry! Can I help Shark Truth?
Passionate about sharks and igniting change in the Chinese comm
unity? Have the skills and experience to help us to save Harry’s fins? We are looking to strengthen and expand our team with communications specialists, fundraisers and development folks and Chinese translators. Email Angel at recruiter [at] sharktruth [dot] com if you want to make a difference with a small, effective, dynamic volunteer team.
That’s it Folks
Keep your eyes, ears and fins out for more news about the 2011 Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here.
