Namaste Day on 5th Avenue South

To celebrate community wellness and promote a plant-based lifestyle, compassion for animals and environmental conservation, three 5th Avenue South eateries – Ocean Prime, Sails Restaurant and The French – are teaming with Practice Yoga and 239Life.com to host the first-ever Namaste Day fundraiser at the Sudgen Plaza, 701 5th Avenue South on Sunday, November 17. Proceeds will benefit three local charities: Mahaan Aasha (Great Hope) Foundation, aPlantBasedDiet.org, and Eva’s Closet and Foundation.
The family friendly event begins with an all levels yoga class with Practice Yoga from 10 am until 11 am. Bring your own mat. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children with $10 and $6 tax-deductible donations. A Vegan Food Festival (food is sold separately), live music by the Yabo Brothers, raffle prizes, with arts and crafts activities for children will take place between 11 am and 2 pm.
“Veganism is a lifestyle choice that’s not just about eating a healthy whole food diet. Vegans exclude all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals and the environment,” says Mike Young, founder of aPlantBasedDiet.org. “There are many ways to embrace the vegan lifestyle. One thing all vegans have in common is a diet avoiding all animal products, including fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs and honey – as well as products like leather and any tested on animals,” he explains.
For Namaste Day, Ocean Prime Restaurant’s executive chef Vladimir Trivunovic created a new vegan appetizer comprised of crispy sushi rice, teriyaki marinated tofu glazed with spicy brown sauce and garnished with carrots and daikon sprouts.
Sales Restaurant Chef de Cuisine Darren Veilleux offers several vegan options including Farro Risotto, an organic Italian farro (a nutrient-rich ancient whole grain that’s soft, chewy and nutty when cooked) with fresh green asparagus and a roasted shallot puree; Wild Mushrooms comprised of roasted mushrooms, fresh English peas and a vegan mushroom butter made from wild mushrooms; Roasted Vegetables containing an assortment of summer vegetables with a savory roasted pepper and tomato vinaigrette and Potato Gratin, an 18-layer gratin of Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet onions and baby turnips roasted with Greek olive oil and finished with fresh chives.
Chef Vincenzo Betulia of The French presents a Moroccan-inspired vegetable tagine containing mixed vegetables, green harissa, eggplant, and potato topped with Fregola (a nutty toasted pasta from Sardinia and spices plus a butternut squash soup garnished with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
About the Charities
Michelle Stephens formed the Mahaan Ashaa (Great Hope) Foundation https://mahaanaasha.com to improve the lives of orphaned and destitute children in India, where an alarmingly high number of children live in orphanages, slums or other destitute situations. The Foundation works to provide education, access to clean water, medical attention and constructs new facilities to change the futures of these children and give them hope. Mahaan Ashaa means Great Hope in Hindi.
aPlantBasedDiet.org is dedicated to improving lives by raising awareness and advocating the use of food as medicine. Advocacy includes providing worldwide education on best practice eating habits through the internet; create, lead and assist with Veg Fests across the country that focus solely on vegan vendors and informative speakers; raise awareness about growing your own food as well as how to cook it and what benefits it has through different partnerships; invest in and work with companies with similar mission and provide free healthy food to those in need.
Eva’s Closet and Foundation (www.evas-foundation.org) provides assistance to people in need. Every month the Foundation serves more than 1,000 individuals suffering from homelessness and poverty in Southwest Florida. ECF provides necessities to clients at no cost including but not limited to clothing shoes, hygiene items baby supplies, food, household supplies and school supplies. Donation sites are available in Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/events/654925614998516/, call (239) 777-6366, or join www.VeganSWFL.org. Purchase yoga tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/namaste-day-5th-ave-tickets-72287665353?aff=aff0eventful.