( CNN ) -- When animal rights activist Jasmin Singer found herself face to face with a scientist who conducts animal testing , a cupcake was exchanged instead of harsh words . `` A good vegan cupcake has the power to transform everything for the better , '' Singer said . `` It 's almost like a political statement with icing . '' Singer was co-hosting a vegan bake sale in New York last week as part of the second annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale . More than 120 groups across six continents are holding vegan bake sales from April 24 through May 2 . Bake sale participants see the sweet treats as a way to introduce those unfamiliar with a vegan diet to some of the flavorful foods they can eat . While vegetarians stay away from meat but may consume dairy and eggs , vegans give up all animal products . Some people become vegan for animal welfare reasons . Others view it as a way to reduce their carbon footprint . Still others choose the plant-based diet as part of a healthier lifestyle . Ruxandra Costescu , of Bucharest , Romania , said most attendees at the bake sales she helped organize were n't vegan . One person who showed up could n't decide what he wanted , so he took one of everything , she said , adding that he came back later to buy more of his favorites for his family . `` It 's really nice to have people who eat anything really appreciate the vegan treats , '' Costescu said . `` Usually people are amazed that they 're so tasty . '' In Sydney , Australia , Amanda Salles was inspired to start regularly holding vegan bake sales after joining the first worldwide bake sale last year . She has never gone to an animal rights rally , but she tries to make a difference by baking vegan desserts like gingerbread cookies . `` I know a lot of people probably think it 's not enough or that you should be going to protests or demonstrations , '' she said . `` But it 's a good way to participate . It 's not very aggressive . '' Some approaches to vegan outreach are less subtle . People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has had half-naked activists campaign against meat consumption by covering themselves in fake blood and lying in human-sized meat packages . PETA 's theatrics may seem a far cry from a bake sale , but the organization sees the sales and protests as means of reaching the same goal . `` Even if [ people ] do n't like the medium that we 're using to get things across , we really just try to make sure they understand why we 're doing it , '' said PETA senior campaigner Ashley Byrne . Gary Loewenthal , director of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale , said he believes bake sales can be a nice change of pace for people used to more confrontational forms of activism . `` I liked it because it combined this time-honored , well-liked tradition with vegan outreach , '' he said . He started planning last year 's event from his home in Falls Church , Virginia , after brainstorming fundraising opportunities with Compassion for Animals , the animal advocacy group he helps run . Loewenthal sent invitations to cities all over the world and soon generated a buzz online . In 2009 , the event had close to 100 participants and raised more than $ 25,000 . Each group decides where to direct the proceeds of its own bake sale . While the money is not required to go to any specific type of organization , many opt to donate to nonprofit groups . Two events in Seattle , Washington , last week raised $ 1,770 for Pigs Peace Sanctuary , where Edgar , a potbellied pig , is being treated for a broken leg . Funds from a vegan bake sale in California on Sunday will benefit breast cancer research and education through the Avon Foundation . A group in Louisiana will send its proceeds to Food For Life , a vegan hunger-relief organization . When Loewenthal started researching vegan bake sales in 2008 , a Google search yielded few results . Now , he says , one can find at least a handful of them taking place in any given month . In late January , more than 25 U.S. cities held vegan bake sales to raise money for Haiti hurricane relief . They were able to donate more than $ 75,000 , according to organizer Isa Moskowitz , author of a number of vegan cookbooks . The growing popularity of vegan bake sales makes Loewenthal think about the future of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale . `` We 've got some ideas going forward about how to keep it fresh , '' he said . `` But we 're also prepared for it to be obsolete . ... We can call it a success and go on to something else . ''
Second annual Worldwide Meat Bake Sale runs from April 30 to May 1 . More than 120 vendors worldwide selling tasty products that contain no animal products . Animal rights activists : ` ` It 's almost like a political statement with this ''