Please email the following individuals. This has GOT to stop.

First horse dies in Omak; Suicide Race Still Weeks Away!
One horse has drowned in an unofficial race practice, weeks before the
Omak Suicide Race weekend on August 8-11th. PAWS has monitored the
annual cruel horse race for two decades. With fifteen horses having died
during Race since 1983, and possibly dozens more in practice runs, the
Omak Suicide Race is the world's most deadly horse race.

The race is part of the Omak Stampede and is an extreme form of horse
racing that forces the horses to perform unnatural acts, leading to
severe injuries and agonizing deaths. Horses are raced down a sixty degree
hill into the Okanagon River, where they swim across to the stadium on
the other side. Typically horses die by breaking their bones when they
land at the bottom of the hill. Many horses drown.

PAWS has convinced every single sponsor of the Suicide Race to withdraw
their direct sponsorship or endorsement of the Suicide Race, except for
one. Pepsi continues to support the Suicide Race. In the accompanying
video, you will see a large Pepsi sign newly painted at last year's
race, proudly positioned next to the Omak Suicide Race sign at the bottom
of Suicide Hill. PAWS has been working to get Pepsi to withdraw their
sponsorship. Please send a polite letter to Trish Lynch with Pepsi-Cola
North America. Trish appears to be very supportive of our goal to end
this race, so PLEASE be polite in your letter to her (Sorry, no email
address). Write (or fax) your letter to:

See footage of the 2001 Omak Suicide Race.

Pepsi-Cola North America
Trish Lynch
Marketing Department/Sponsorship Reviews
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase, NY 10577
Fax: 914-7676177

You can also email Bob Rust, General Manager, Weinstein Beverages (the
local bottler) at brust@weinsteinbev.com and please tell the Omak City
Council that the cruel nature of the Suicide Race discourages tourists
from visiting the Omak Stampede or the region. Please e-mail the Clerk
and ask that she pass on your letter to the Mayor and Council
memberstrishb@omakcity.com. Visit our Suicide Race web page at
www.paws.org/work/factsheet/advocacyfactsheets/omak.html to learn more about
the Suicide Race. If you would like to join the Suicide Erasers e-mail
newsletter network, choose the "subscribe to other newsletters" option on
the bottom left hand section of this newsletter. You can reach Sheridan
Thomas, PAWS advocate in charge of our Suicide Race campaign at
sheridan@paws.org.