The most admirable form of giving is the giving of one’s time. Dick and Marth Bush are the pillars of giving time in the New York Fair Industry. They have been involved in the Cortland County Junior Fair since, at least, 1980.

Currently Dick serves as the Fair Superintendent and on six different committees including: Budget/Finance/Promotion, Program & Fundraising, Commercial Rental, Buildings/Property Rental, Grants, and the Grounds Committee. Martha serves on the Constitution and By-Laws committee. They are extremely dedicated to their Fair and the Fair business.

What makes them so deserving of this award is their dedication to the New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs. They have attended the NYSAAF Annual Convention for almost 4 decades - 40 years of attending, contributing, networking, presenting programs, sharing ideas, and collecting ideas. They have been attending New York Fair Managers meetings just as long. In fact, Martha has served as President of that organization. Dick and Martha have attended the IAFE Zone 1 meeting and they were on the 2015 Zone 1 Bus Trip, which was great because Martha told the jokes!. It’s not uncommon for any of us to run into Dick and Martha at New York Fairs, as they attend many other fairs throughout the summer.

Dick and Martha are being presented this award as a team because rarely, if ever, do you see one without the other! They will celebrate their 65rd wedding anniversary in 2025 and they truly understand that the best thing to hold onto in life is each other.