Food Cart Hero Prompts Vendy Award Category

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 20th 2011 @ 5:00PM

Demonstrators hold a portrait of Tunisian protest hero Mohammed Bouazizi on January 20, 2011. Photo: Fred Dufour, AFP / Getty Images

Street vendors in New York do a lot more than sell falafel and knishes. They're heroes -- from uncomommon acts such as spotting a car bomber in Times Square, to everyday gestures of kindness such as helping an elderly person cross the street. So the Vendy Awards, the annual prizes given to Big Apple vendors, is getting a new "Most Heroic Vendor" category, reports the New York Daily News.

The award, says the Vendys website, was inspired by Tunisian fruit vendor Mohammed Bouazizi, whose dramatic act of protest against the Tunisian officials that confiscated his produce and harassed him set the stage for the Tunisian Revolution. (On December 17, 2010, Bouazizi set himself on fire, leading to protests that shook the Tunisian government.)

While the Vendy Award winner is chosen by judges, the heroes among us are chosen by the people themselves.

Want to nominate a New York City street-vendor hero? Cast your vote here.

Filed Under: Newspapers, Events
Tags: food vendors, mohammed bouazizi, street food, Vendy awards