Bob Zugby didn’t manage to finish the list of accomplishments before a cheer went up. In announcing the Outstanding Citizen, Committee Chair Zugby traditionally reads the attributes of the chosen person before naming the citizen, but this year the crowd recognized Rick Ransom once Zugby mentioned The Good Guys and The Relics, both references to musical groups Ransom helps coordinate.
The announcement brought a cluster of congratulatory hugs and clicking camera phones around Ransom and his wife Barbara. The cheers could be heard around the bandstand as Zugby continued to list Ransom’s participation in the Greenbelt Community Church – serving in the choir, as a youth leader and on the governing board and other projects. Zugby had opened the evening by explaining a new policy of the committee: the recipient of the volunteer award must be a living person. As he continued to list the criteria used by the committee to select the recipient, it was clear Ransom is living well in Greenbelt. Ransom was chosen in part for the length of his commitment to the community, Zugby said, but also because that “one thing that makes Rick a little unique is service to others on a person-to-person basis.”
Ransom is known for paying particular attention to a child that was terminally ill, said Zugby. He also talked about how Ransom donated proceeds of his musical groups to charity, and Ransom is “a recognized leader in the community without assuming any kind of visible leadership.” More on this story – click here
