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Jean Andre Vallery wins national bike
messenger award
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| Sarasota Herald Tribune, October 26, 2005 By Patty Allen-Jones patty.allen-jones@heraldtribune.com Former bicycle messenger Jean Andre Vallery was honored Oct. 18 for starting a fund to help injured messengers.
The Sarasota resident received the Markus "Fur" Cook Award, which was presented to him by members of the Sarasota County Bicycle/Pedestrian/Trail Advisory Committee at its monthly meeting. "I was shocked that this was presented to me," said Vallery, 52. "I had no idea. I knew I was nominated. I was nominated last year. I'm just happy." Vallery was a bicycle messenger in Sarasota from 1997 to 2001 before getting sick. He hasn't been able to ride for very long since. "It came to the point it was to my best benefit not to keep pedaling in traffic," he said. "I was not able to take care of myself." Vallery, who did not want to talk about his sickness, started the non-profit Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund in 2001 to help others like him who can't work and can't pay bills. Delivering messages by bicycle is considered the most hazardous occupation, according to a Harvard report. The fund has assisted 29 messengers throughout the world since March 2004. The award is named after the late Cook, a key figure among bicycle messengers in San Francisco and a leader in the international messenger community. It is given by the International Federation of Bike Messenger Associations for service to the international messenger community. The trophy was first presented in 1998. Previous recipients were from Toronto, London, San Francisco, Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. Their names are inscribed on a trophy, which will remain with Vallery until the 2006 winner is announced. He will join the other honorees in voting for the next winner. Mark Blumenthal, chair of the county advisory group, said he was contacted by Joe Hendry -- the first Markus Cook winner -- and told that Vallery was this year's winner. "This is a world-class event," Blumenthal said. |
