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2011 Awards
Florida Bicycle Association
Annual Awards Presentation
March 24, 2011 3rd Annual Florida Bike Summit Tallahassee
Florida Bicycle Association annual awards are presented to worthy recipients for their contributions to bicycling. The purpose of the awards is to bring attention to the efforts and achievements of groups, organizations and individuals that help deliver our mission to inspire and support people and communities to enjoy greater freedom and well being through bicycling. Nominations are solicited from FBA members, however, anyone can submit a nomination for a wide variety of categories.
Bike Club: Sanibel Bike Club, Mary Miller, President
The 250-member Sanibel Bicycle Club has a long history of advocacy and community involvement. The club has worked with city government to develop and implement a shared use path master plan, and established the nonprofit Trails in Motion fund, which raises money from the community to support the path system. That’s in addition to the club’s weekly local, and monthly multi-day rides, and monthly potluck socials. The Sanibel Bicycle Club is truly a role model of how to run a successful club.
Enforcement Program or Officer: Sheriff Gary S Borders, Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Hundreds of boys and girls have learned to ride bicycles safely thanks to Sheriff Borders and the Lake County Police Activities League. The Lake County PAL program is exactly the kind of life-skill training the FBA would like to see at PAL programs throughout the state. Too often, children receive bicycles as “toys.” Once they’ve learned to pedal and balance, they rarely receive any additional training. Sheriff Borders has done a remarkable job of closing this gap, simultaneously strengthening ties between the Sheriff’s department and the community, and reducing the likelihood that these students will become crash statistics.
Educator/Regional Trainer: John Egberts, Florida Traffic & Bicycle Safety Education Program
As Assistant Director of the Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program, John works extensively with school districts, counties, health departments, schoolteachers, and others to coordinate and conduct teacher training workshops, and improve pedestrian/bicycle safety throughout Florida. He has co-authored pedestrian/bicycle safety articles for publication and has other manuscripts currently under review and in progress. Finally, John recently began his PhD studies and will focus his research in the area of pedestrian/bicycle safety education, injury prevention and risk management.
Supporting Agency: Peter Chu and Lori Snively, FDOT District 7
FDOT District 7 has provided long term support for bicycle and pedestrian programs for their seven county region which includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus. Most recently they’ve funded and supported the Tampa BayCycle program and WalkWise Tampa Bay. They also fund efforts such as walking school buses and bicycle trains. In 2010, District 7 launched a new Pedestrian Flag Program in partnership with the beach towns and cities located along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County.
Program: Dr. Gillian Hotz, BikeSafe™ Program, University of Miami
A physician-created program created to prevent pediatric brain trauma, BikeSafe, now in its third year, aims to teach bicycle safety to every child and parent in Dade County. Founded by Dr. Gillian Hotz at the University of Miami, nonprofit BikeSafe has already made significantly progress, taking its message to community outreach events such as Bike Miami Days, Critical Mass, bicycle rodeos, numerous health and wellness fairs, and even local meetings regarding proposed/planned roadwork. After a successful first run of piloting the program last summer, BikeSafe will bring a bike safety curriculum to some of the children's camps that are organized by Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation. In the fall of 2011, BikeSafe will have additional funding and will be able to reach more children by offering an after-school bike safety curriculum.
Event: Cris Vidal, Ride to Defeat ALS – Florida Chapter
Ride to Defeat ALS, formerly known as Tour de Vie, originated in 2009 to raise money to defeat Lou Gehrig’s disease. The first annual event attracted more than 200 riders and raised $53,000. Ride Director Cris Vidal is fully committed to rider safety, which is evident on the Ride to Defeat ALS Safety web page, featuring topics that include Rules of the Road, Ride Safety Plan, and others. Cris also puts great effort into incorporating League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors (LCI’s) as part of route planning, pre-ride safety training and as day-of Ride Marshals. The Florida chapter of ALS Association has taken their grassroots ride to a professional level within one year, more than doubling participation and fundraising; a feat matched only by the Ride to Defeat ALS -Florida Chapter Clio award-winning ad campaign.
Bicycle Professional: Bevin Maynard, Safe Kids Tampa Coordinator
Safe Kids Tampa Coordinator for Baycare Health System, Bevin has made a name for herself throughout West Central Florida, providing bicycle safety training classes to children and adults. She is active with the Safe Routes to School Program, reaching thousands of Hillsborough County and Pasco County students through her bicycle safety rodeos. Bevin has appeared several times on local television shows sharing bicycle safety tips. According to her nominator, “She is the unsung hero for Bicycle Safety in Tampa Bay.”
Volunteer(s): Roger Pierce, Gainesville Cycling Club ~ Norm & Helen Flemington, Sanibel Bike Club
Roger Pierce: Like most cycling clubs, the Gainesville Cycling Club emphasized recreation over advocacy until Roger Pierce got involved. In various capacities as club president, membership secretary, web master, group ride leader, mentor, and organizer of group’s annual double century weekend, Pierce fundamentally changed the organization. The nominator wrote: “If, in 1995, you would have told me our rides were going to be so large, our influence so vast, and our connections to elected officials and the public so critical, I might have wondered whether GCC was the right vehicle to carry forward the mission of larger organizations like the FBA. But in 2011, and under Roger’s leadership, we are now the largest, most respected, and most consistent voice on cycling issues in North Central Florida.”
Norm & Helen Flemington: For a couple of snowbirds, Norm and Helen Flemington, more than pull their weight around the Sanibel Bicycle Club. This past season, these can-do Canadians worked three separate club sponsored projects, managing the club’s used bicycle collection drive for Immokalee farm workers, leading a path clean up team, and coordinating potluck dinners. All this hard work is especially remarkable, considering that the three months the Flemington’s spend each year in Sanibel is their “vacation.”
Trail Manager: Tina Russo, Hillsborough County
Tina serves as the Trail Manager for the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, Suncoast Trail, and the Town and Country Greenway, for the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. Among other things, she implemented a 911 Marker System using station numbers along the trails that help to decrease emergency (Medical and Law Enforcement) response times. A dedicated professional, Tina has also given generously of her own time, serving on boards and committees that help further the cause of improving the cycling environment both in her home county and statewide.
Elected Official Champion: Lee County Board of County Commissioners
Less than two years after approving a resolution embracing the concept of “complete streets” for Lee County, the Board of County Commissioners have turned their philosophical commitment into formal policy. From this point forward all transportation projects shall include context-sensitive features that will serve all users. Most recently, the county’s state-required Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR), includes “complete streets” as a key component of the county’s development plan. This continued focus on changing the way this county government deals with transportation and community planning, even as budgets are stretched to their limits, is a shining example of the political will required to make our communities more walkable, bikeable, livable.
Special Recognition: Sharon Monahan, Penn’s Cycling School
A LAB Certified Master Instructor and licensed P.E. teacher for students with special needs, Sharon has long been recognized for her work promoting safe cycling and bicycle education. In 2010, Sharon’s company, Penn’s Cycling School, partnered with Safe Kids Tampa, Ride to Defeat ALS, Tampa BayCycle, and USF to offer clinics in bicycle skills and safety: 22 clinics and 214 people trained, including 92 elementary and middle school teachers who will directly teach children correct and important bicycle safety skills.
About 2010 award recipients.
About 2009 award recipients.
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