B
y Mary Owen
When Bob Doerfler rolled out his tractor for the Sublimity Harvest Festival’s very first tractor pull in 1973, local teen Steve Zuber climbed into the driver’s seat and never looked back.
That first tractor pull led Zuber, now 52, to more than 25 years of volunteering for the event that now draws thousands to the area each year.
“Steve works endless hours during the season building and repairing items in preparation for the festival,” said Gary Rychard, the city councilor who nominated Zuber for Sublimity’s First Citizen.
According to Rychard, Zuber was festival president for 13 years, and most recently, just stepped down as the Sublimity Harvest Festival Foundation president.
“Steve’s dedication does not just stop with giving his time, but with his family’s farm equipment, tools, and most importantly, they donate the land to the east every year for additional parking during the festival event,” Rychard said. “Without the land donation for parking, the festival would not be able to bring in the thousands of patrons each year.”
The Sublimity Harvest Festival has come a long way since that first tractor pull, a competition between local farmers to see whose tractor could pull the most dead weight the farthest. Today, it includes entertainment, a Kid Zone, pull events, monstor trucks, a fun run and parade. Organizations that have benefitted from the festival include: American Diabetes Assocation, Canyon Family Crisis Center, Stayton Relay for Life, Stayton Food Bank, Santiam Family YMCA, Santiam Snowmobile Club and schools and school-related groups and activities.
Rychard commends Zuber for making the festival a “true family event.” The Zuber family has all donated time and equipment to make the festival happen, he said.
Zuber, a Sublimity resident and co-owner with his parents of Zuber Farms, also volunteered on the Sublimity Fire Department and is a long-time member of St. Boniface Catholic Church. He has worked the past 25 years at Frank Lumber Company in Mill City.
To Zuber, the Harvest Festival was already a “family thing” when he married Kim Hendricks. Her family was deeply involved in the festival and he began to help out with general maintenance. “It’s hard not to get involved with an organization that is your neighbor,” he said modestly, referring to the proximity of the Festival’s yearly event location to the family farm.
Kim Zuber said her husband still finds it hard to take any credit. “He puts a lot of work in that people don’t realize,” she said. “And he doesn’t like to be glorified!”
Zuber said he plans to step back from the festival leadership to let a few of the younger folks step up. “I’m still going to hang around and help out,” he said.
Zuber, who was surprised to be chosen for the First Citizen honor, echoed his wife’s sentiments, saying, “I’m one of those persons who likes to volunteer his time, but I’m not nuts about recognition.” Zuber, meanwhile, said he has to come to grips with his First Citizen status. “I’d rather be standing in the backgound,” he said, “just watching.”
Rychard and others who have watch Zuber work hard over the years believe he has more than earned the recognition. “As a former person that has received this award, I cannot think of a person more deserving than Steve Zuber,” he said. “He truly believes in giving back to his community without regard for himself!”
