Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, Director of the ARRL Northwestern Division, has received the Hall of Honor Award for 35 years of service to the Yakima Search and Rescue group.
Tharp called the award “unexpected and very much appreciated,” adding, “You don’t do volunteer work to get awards, you do it because it’s needed and makes a difference.”
Tharp was first licensed in 1989 and now holds an Extra Class license. He became a ham after spending time with a ham friend, while exploring the mountains in the northwestern United States. “The Yakima Search and Rescue group continues to grow and help volunteers train and keep over 100 sports-related locations safe,” said Tharp. He remembered one particular rescue that involved a young boy and his cat.
The boy had been missing for several hours and it was getting dark and cloudy. “We were tired but didn’t quit. I sat down on a hillside and using an infrared camera…we were able to find him and his cat…cold but OK,” lamented Tharp.
Tharp is retired now but as the ARRL Northwestern Division Director, he represents members in Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. He is an ARRL Life Member and a member of the ARRL Diamond Club and ARRL Maxim Society.