Here on Orcas Island, we choose an honorary mayor each year by casting our monetary votes to see who gets the most. It’s a clever fundraiser that benefits Orcas Island Children’s House. This year’s candidates? A line-up of various dogs, a bunny, and a bearded dragon.
Every year after the 4th of July Parade, the candidates gather in the Village Green to meet people on the street, and final votes are cast. Often, the last day can bring in so many votes for a particular candidate that there is a surprise winner.
I think today the children of the island dominated the voting after falling in love with a lizard, spending the dollars they had in their pockets not on ice cream but instead on votes, wishing they could take home their new-found friend.
Meet our new mayor, a quiet, charming little chap…Ricky the bearded dragon.
Can you tell we’re enamored too? As life would have it, we decided this past week to adopt a bearded dragon from a family on another island in September. We didn’t realize until today that one of the mayoral candidates was also this kind of reptile, and we fell in love at first sight.
To read more about Ricky, click here.
You can even buy your own Ricky for Mayor shirt here. I think it’s going to be an Orcas Island collector’s item someday!
Let’s not forget the other hard-working candidates and their families and friends. All of their work contributed to making another successful fundraiser happen this year! We honor Biscuit, Spirit, Monkey, Smoke, Stanley Tucci, and Tyrone. Click here and scroll down to meet them all and read the results of the final tally.
