Race car driver and environmental activist Leilani Munter has been to Taiji, Japan to document the slaughter of dolphins three times and organized the lighting of the Empire State Building in red to raise awareness. Now, she is raising funds to shine even more light on the dolphins of the cove.
Munter is raising funds for a ‘The Cove’ themed race car that she will drive in the ARCA Race on February 18 in Daytona. According to a statement on her website, the race will air live on SPEED television which is watched in 79 million homes, and Daytona International Speedway is one of the most well-known tracks in the world. Munter’s car would be the first of its kind to race in Daytona.
The photo above is a computer-generated image of what the race car would look like, with an image from the film The Cove. Munter says, “The Cove forever changed me. I know race fans will respond to it, they just need to know about it. The race falls on my birthday, and my greatest wish is to end the slaughter and the ongoing abuse of these beautiful ocean creatures.” She is trying to raise both corporate and philanthropic donations; $15,000 has already been raised, with $30,000 still needed.
If Munter is able to raise enough money for the car, Ric O’Barry and ‘The Cove’ Director Louie Psihoyos will be joining her at Daytona. The two will be signing the 1000 DVD’s of the film that will be given away to fans in attendance. Munter will also be wearing a helmet painted for the campaign and it will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.
If you’d like to make a donation to help Leilani represent the dolphins in Daytona, you can donate through the Oceanic Preservation Society and write “for Daytona” in the notes section. If you donate $50 or more you’ll also be entered to win two pit passes for the Daytona race, and two fans can win garage passes.
This isn’t the first time Munter has driven a groundbreaking car at Daytona. She also drove the very first completely eco-sponsored car in 2010. She was sponsored by five green companies.
About Jennifer Mishler
Jennifer is an animal advocate and activist. She is a volunteer coordinator with The Girls Gone Green, a nonprofit organization advocating for animals rights, veganism, and environmentalism. She is also an Onshore Volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and a volunteer with CJ Acres Animal Rescue Farm, a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates farm animals. Along with writing for Ecorazzi, she writes about veganism and animal rights on her blog, A Dog's Eye View. She lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and their three animal friends. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jennygoneveganView all posts by Jennifer Mishler →
