Ex-Playmate dishes up charity dinner

Pamela Anderson is known all over the world for a pair of attributes: her generosity and her devotion to the cause of ending animal cruelty.

Both were on prominent display Wednesday afternoon, when Anderson served a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner to homeless families at a downtown charity.

The meatless meal was provided by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Garden Protein International, a Canadian company that markets "veggie turkey roast" and other meat substitutes.

"This is the first time we ever had a family meal in this house," said Terry Lindeman, whose nonprofit organization Family Promise works with local churches to provide shelter and other services to homeless families. "I don't think we could have afforded this without the donation."

About two dozen people, young and old, lined up for the faux turkey with all the trimmings. As they waited for Anderson to get there so they could eat, one girl teased her little sister. "She doesn't even know what 'Baywatch' is," the older girl said.

The smiling star of "The Beauty of Magic" at Planet Hollywood arrived about 20 minutes late. Dressed in three-inch spike heels, blue jeans and a white, skin-tight PETA T-shirt, Anderson looked like a woman sketched into existence by an artistically inclined 14-year-old boy.

Anderson was accompanied by PETA officials and trailed by a small entourage that included her new husband, Rick Salomon, who hung back and tried to avoid the crush of cameras.

Salomon is perhaps best known for the sex tape he made with Paris Hilton, which is rivaled only by Anderson's sex tape with former husband Tommy Lee as the most-watched home movie since the Zapruder film.

According to PETA, Anderson was inspired to host Wednesday's vegetarian event after watching footage from the organization's investigation of cruel conditions at turkey slaughterhouses.

"I do a lot of charity events back home. Vegas is my second home now, so I wanted to get involved," she said.

Anderson, whose show at Planet Hollywood is set to close Dec. 8, spent her 30 minutes at Family Promise greeting people, escorting them to their seats and passing out plates of food.

"Happy Thanksgiving, guys," she said. "Early Thanksgiving."

Joe Holguin, 29, took time out from eating to snap a few pictures of Anderson with his camera phone, including one carefully timed shot when she bent over in front of him to set down a plate.

The photo earned him a playful slap from his girlfriend, Stephanie Halvorsen.

The couple and their two young children had no permanent place to live before they came to Family Promise. Three days later, they had their own apartment.

"For the record, these guys are great," Holguin said of the charity.

Though he's not a vegetarian, he had no complaints about the meal, either.

"Free food and Pam? Come on," he said.

Stephanie Chrisman also enjoyed the food, but she worried that Pamela Anderson and PETA were soaking up all the attention while Family Promise barely got a mention.

Since she entered the program five days ago, Chrisman said Family Promise has been a huge help to her and her 5-year-old son, Kyle, who wore a suit and tie to Wednesday's event. "He dressed for the occasion," Chrisman said.

In addition to the meatless turkey, Kyle got a taste of celebrity life when Anderson posed with him in front of a gaggle of photographers after the meal.

Asked what it was like to meet the former Playboy Playmate of the Year and "Baywatch" star, the boy grinned.

He also liked the cranberry sauce.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0350.