NORDLAND — Ralph Rush will be honored as the 2009 Marrowstone Island Citizen of the Year on Saturday.
The potluck dinner and award ceremony will be at the Nordland Garden Clubhouse, 320 Garden Club Road.
Social hour will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner starting at 6 p.m.
Nominees for Marrowstone Citizen of the Year must have made significant, long-lasting volunteer contributions to the lives of individuals on Marrowstone and/or in Jefferson County.
Rush and his late wife, Anne, moved to Marrowstone in 1976.
The Rushes owned and operated a shellfish farm and became good-will ambassadors and salespeople of Marrowstone life for all who stopped to purchase their clams and oysters.
A World War II veteran, Rush was involved with the liberation of a concentration camp and has lectured about his Holocaust experiences at area high schools.
Rush was president of Water for Marrowstone, which was influential in getting public water to the island and helped truck water to those whose water had failed. The island began receiving public water two years ago.
Rush has organized and led the Fort Flagler Shellfish Walk Fundraiser, has served as a volunteer for the restoration of old military buildings and bunkers at Fort Flagler State Park and is a member of Friends of Fort Flagler.
He wrote a cookbook, with all funds from its sale donated to Fort Flagler restoration work.
He has been a volunteer with the Nordland Garden Club and Water for Marrowstone committee, president of the Marrowstone Island Foundation and a member of the Jefferson County Fruit Growers Association, Jefferson County Grange and Jefferson County Stewardship Foundation.
The selection was made by a committee of past citizens of the year still living on the island and three Marrowstone Island Community Association board members, said Bill Anliker said.
He and his wife, Joan, were Citizens of the Year two years ago, and are putting on the dinner for this year’s recipient.
For more information, or to RSVP, phone the Anlikers at 360-385-0558.
