Pamplona Registration Letter
Dear Activist,
Thank you for your interest in the Running of the Nudes in Pamplona, Spain, this July. It is such a brilliant event, and we would be delighted to have you aboard! Together, we will make the Running of the Bulls and the barbaric bullfights that follow relics of the past and turn the Running of the Nudes into the most popular event in Pamplona!
This will be the sixth annual Running of the Nudes, and the event gets bigger and better every year. We need to make Running of the Nudes 2007 our best event yet, and we need you there to do that!
Running of the Nudes 2007 will be a Mardi Gras-style parade complete with bands, street performers, dancing, and all kinds of fun and craziness! The popularity of last year's event and the media coverage it received worldwide have shown that the most effective way to end the Running of the Bulls is to provide an alternative event that is exciting, fun and celebratory but also, of course, cruelty-free. The Running of the Nudes provides the fun and infectious fiesta atmosphere that people travel to Pamplona to experience, but without harming a hair on a bull’s back. We also realise that while partial nudity may be daring (the mayor of Pamplona stipulates that we wear our underwear), it guarantees we will get the attention of the world media and, therefore, a way to inform the public about what really goes on at the Running of the Bulls and the bloody bullfights.
We will be travelling via coach to Pamplona and have rented one 50-seater coach that will leave Zagreb for our Spanish adventure on Tuesday, July 3, and arrive back in Zagreb on Sunday, July 8.
We have limited space, so to ensure you don't miss out, please book your seat as soon as possible by returning the registration form and paying the non-refundable registration fee of €60. The fee covers coach transportation to Pamplona and back, three nights of accommodation at a beautiful campground, a delicious veggie barbecue on the first evening and select other costs involved in holding a fun-filled, dynamic event of this magnitude. Because the event has become so popular, the total cost is now £85,000. PETA can no longer afford to subsidise all travelling costs of activists. As a non-profit organisation, we have to keep a very close eye on our expenses so that our funds can go directly to help stop abuse of the most numbers of animals. We hope you will understand the necessary increase in registration fee and recognise that it represents the popularity and success of what is now an internationally acclaimed anti-bullfighting event.
We have enclosed a sponsorship form, which you can use to get your friends, colleagues and family members to cover your registration fee. All you will need is 6 generous people to sponsor and provide you €10 each and you get a free holiday in Spain as well as a chance to do something incredible to help the bulls! Please photocopy the form if you need more, and remember that the more sponsorship you receive, the more you will be able to help animals. Our campaigning depends on the generosity of people like you, and any funds you raise over your registration fee will help make the Running of the Nudes even bigger and better in 2008! If you would like some tips on how to raise more money to help the bulls, please contact our fundraising team on +44 (0) 20 7357 9229, extension 225, or by e-mail at PreetiB@peta.org.uk.
In Spain, we'll stay at a beautiful campground nestled amongst the hills 30 miles outside Pamplona. It has gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside and a lake for anyone who wants to go swimming or canoeing. This will provide a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded people from around the world, enjoy the Mediterranean sun and then, as night falls, party in true Spanish style at the bar!
The campground is featured at www.aritzaleku.com and has all the usual facilities, such as showers, a small grocery store and even a swimming pool. There are three cabins at the campsite (each cabin houses up to 33 people and will be mixed-sex), but because of the sheer number of enthusiastic activists joining us in Pamplona, most of us will be sleeping in tents. We will need almost everyone to bring a tent. If you do not have a tent or are absolutely unable to borrow one from friends or family, please tell us on your registration form and we will ask the campground to have a tent ready for you or will reserve a space for you in a cabin as long as there is space still available. This year, we will also have a "quiet cabin" and "quiet areas," where people who want to rest up for the big run can do so without being kept awake by others who choose to party the night away. There is a box on the registration form that you can check if you would like to sleep in a quiet area or cabin, subject to availability. Please remember: Whether you are in a tent or a cabin, you still need to bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.
For the past five years, the media have been extremely interested in publishing stories about people who join the Running of the Nudes in Pamplona. It will be highly likely that your local newspaper, radio station or even television station would like to interview you about your trip to Spain to run nude for the bulls! It's a tremendous opportunity to spread the word about how animals suffer during bullfights and to reach people who don’t realise the cruelty involved in the Running of the Bulls. If you wish to talk to a reporter, please check the box on the registration form and we will contact members of your local media about your participation in the Running of the Nudes. There is no need to be nervous about speaking to a reporter, because it is actually great fun and PETA will send out a media pack with tips and suggestions on how to handle any tricky questions. Please do consider talking to the media; animals need you to speak up for them!
Here's the itinerary so far:
July 2: The coach leaves from Zagreb around 8 P.M.
July 3: Eight hours long break in Italy during a day, which inlcudes swimming, sunbathing, shopping, etc.
July 4: The coach arrives at the campground in the early afternoon. Relax – go for a hike or swim in the campground lake! A vegan barbecue is planned for the afternoon, where you can meet other activists from all over the world. After the barbecue, PETA representatives will talk to the group about the days ahead and the plan for the big day. Afterward, there will be the opportunity to gather with and meet like-minded people from your country to discuss issues close to your heart or watch a film shown in a public area. Then dance the night away at the campground pub or rest up for the big day ahead!
July 5: On your mark… get set… go! The Running of the Nudes begins at 1 P.M. and is the best party in Pamplona! We dance, sing and party our way through the streets to show the spectators (and trust us, there are many!) how much fun they can have by embracing the Running of the Nudes and doing away with the Running of the Bulls. Our chants and banners will convey our anti-bullfighting message. After the run, a party will be held back at the campground to celebrate the efforts of everyone who participated in the Running of the Nudes and helped to call attention to the suffering of the bulls. Dance the night away to the Spanish band with new friends. Nothing brings you closer than running naked together!
July 6: It is your choice as to how you spend the day – you may want to spend it soaking in the sun by the lake, swimming, hiking, taking a sight-seeing trip, going shopping at the PETA stall, taking part in some activism, finding out more about animal rights at the PETA talks or making friends from around the world.
July 7: The coach leaves the campground for home in the early afternoon.
July 8: The coach arrives in Zagreb in the evening.
As I mention above, your presence at this year's run is vital. We need you to be there to help Running of the Nudes become a permanent part of the Spanish annual festival calendar, and to do this, we must show the people of Pamplona that we are dedicated to growing stronger and larger, year after year, until the Running of the Bulls and the bullfights at the San Fermin festival end. The growth of the event in the past years is a testament to the strength and growth of the anti-bullfighting and wider animal rights movement – a movement animals really need you to be a part of. Please invite your friends, family and colleagues to join us this year so that we can make the Running of the Nudes the most popular event in Pamplona!
Contact Anita at anita@prijatelji-zivotinja.hr for more information.
Please print out and post back your registration form to Running of the Nudes, c/o Prijatelji zivotinja, Gunduliceva 21a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. The details of payment are on the registration form.
Once we have received your registration form and registration fee, we'll send you a letter confirming your place. Many thanks! We are really looking forward to seeing you in July!
For animals,
Lauren Bowey
Campaign Coordinator
PETA Europe Ltd
and
Anita Euschen
Int. Campaigns Coordinator
Animal Friends
Testimonies From Running of the Nudes Veterans!
"This trip was just awesome in every way! Being a part of the Running of the Nudes was probably one of the most amazing things I have ever been a part of! I'm definitely going next year and my brother too! You should come with us!" – Hanna, Iceland
"Running of the Nudes 2006 was a life-changing experience for me. 'Running' through the same streets that the bulls do, seeing what they must see, feeling what they must feel, brought tears to my eyes. But doing this with 1,000 people from all over the world, each and every one very different but all with the same spirit and the same hope... ending this cruelty. It felt great being part of the Running of the Nudes, and I will be there again next year!" – Kirsten, the Netherlands
"Pamplona was fantastic. I met such great people who I plan to see again in the future. What an experience..." – Adele, Australia
"Loved the campsite! The facilities were spotlessly clean and the staff friendly. The bar was great and the party after the run was legendary! Loved the band! My friend and I had an absolutely amazing time and can’t wait until next year!" – Helen, England
"Taking part in the Running of the Nudes was an awe-inspiring and fun experience. It was wonderful to be with so many other people who want to put a stop to the torture and killing of those innocent beings. I'll definitely be there again in 2007!" – Lina, Brazil
"The camping grounds were great – amazing nature, beautiful lake. Great overall experience! See you next year!" – Jirko, Belgium
"All the Italian activists said the Running of the Nudes was fantastic and they will come back next year! Wow! I think that next year, Italian activists will be more, and more, and more..." – Daniela, Italy
"Last year there were SO many Spanish activists in the Running of the Nudes. It was great because we proved to the world that it is wrong to think that all Spanish people support bullfighting - most people don't but it is tourists who keep coming to see the bullfights and keep them going. The Running of the Nudes is a fun way to show Pamplona that cruelty is outdated!" – Antonio, Spain
