Farmworker aides honored

By LAURA FIGUEROA

Herald Staff Writer

SARASOTA - Isabel Perez didn't expect to receive a standing ovation for picking tomatoes.

On any other day, before her pregnancy, she may have stood while working an eight-hour day as a tomato picker, but Monday night she stood alongside fellow farmworkers as they were given a standing ovation by more than 130 people gathered for the Cesar Chavez Memorial Dinner hosted by the Sarasota/Manatee Farmworker Supporters.

The dinner honors those who have aided the area's farmworking community. This year's award recipients were Sister Ann DeNicolo of Arcadia and Dr. Omar Chafey, an Atlanta-based scientist.

DeNicolo, a Catholic nun based in Arcadia was recognized for her work with migrant farmworkers impacted by Hurricane Charley.

"She went house to house to see what their needs were," said Diana Hubert, DeNicolo's secretary at the Diocese of Venice. "There were seven streets with all migrant housing and trailers that had been really damaged, she went up and down those streets making sure that everyone who needed help got it."

DeNicolo remembers briefly meeting the late Chavez when she attended one of his farmworker rallies in the early 1960s. Chavez, was the founder of the National Farmworker Association, and fought to bring attention to the working conditions of farmworkers.

"I'm honored that my name is used in connection with a man I've admired all my life," DeNicolo told the crowd after she accepted a plaque with Chavez's image printed on the background.

Chafey received the night's other award for research he conducted while working for the Florida Department of Health, from 1998-2000, linking the use of the pesticide Malathion with sicknesses that sprouted in areas sprayed. He later leaked his reports to The Tampa Tribune, when he alleged that his supervisors suggested he change his findings.

"This is a belated recognition for him," said Greg Schell with Gulfcoast Legal Services who presented Chafey's award. "He was an early whistle-blower when it came to talking about the harm that pesticides can have on people."

Chafey, who now lives in Atlanta and works for the National Cancer Institute, was unable to attend the event.

Tirso Moreno , general coordinator for the Farmworker Association of Florida, spoke at the dinner about the need to continually bring farmworker issues to the forefront.

"I've worked in many places and have seen the differences in what they go through," Moreno said. "I think things for the worker are worst now, because it's getting harder to organize them to speak up for improvements."

The plate of chicken wings, string beans and dinner rolls in front of Perez was a welcome treat, but the farmworker who lives in Bradenton, said in Spanish that what she enjoyed most at the dinner was being able "to come sit down to see a really nice place like this."

Marvin Mills , who served as president of the group for four out of the past six years, passed the torch to Alejandro Reyes .

Before departing from the stage, Mills told the crowd he would sign off as the late news anchor Edward R. Murrow would.

"Good bye and good luck," he said.