SUQUAMISH — Pirates, swashbucklers and wenches of all sorts invaded the Kiana Lodge last Friday night.

But there was no pillaging or plundering going on. In fact, if anything, they were giving back.

The pirate-themed Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce awards banquet took place March 4 in Suquamish. Amid the antics of emcee Steven Buechler of the Clearwater Casino, portraying Capt. Robin of the Off-White Cubic Zirconium (cousin of the better known Capt. Sparrow of the Black Pearl), the chamber thanked its 2004 board, inducted new members and honored people who have made the business community and Poulsbo at large a better place to be.

All award winners were announced ahead of time except for one — person of the year. Harkening back to the chamber’s history, members decided this year to name a group of community builder award winners and keep the person of the year a secret until the event. Miss Poulsbo Canon Henness circled the crowd then announcer Brad Camp finally announced that Poulsbo resident Ardis Morrow as the winner. Morrow buried her head in her hands and looked shocked as she was led to the podium.

“Can you imagine me speechless?” Morrow said as she reached the stage, evoking laughter from the audience.

Afterward, Morrow said she had no inkling that she might be the new person of the year. She didn’t even tell her children about the event because she wasn’t expecting to be called to the stage at all — let alone twice (once for the community builder award and then again for the person of the year).

“It’s just humbling to think they might have listened to little old me,” Morrow said of receiving the award. “I just think that’s so great.”

Morrow has lived in North Kitsap more than 30 years and in Poulsbo since 1990. She helped found Kitsap North Inc. real estate business, that merged with Windermere in the 1980s.

But her real passion has always been working in the community, including: being a Boy Scout den mother and executive board member; being a Kingston Port Commissioner; being a Red Cross swim instructor for more than 30 years; volunteering for the North Kitsap Mentor program and the North Kitsap School District Art Docent program; and serving on the Martha & Mary Corporate Advisory Board and City of Poulsbo’s Civil Service Commission.

“It’s just a great community to live in,” Morrow commented of North Kitsap. “I’m just so grateful to be able to be involved,”

But the passion for which Morrow is best known is her tireless efforts on behalf of domestic violence victims. In 1986, Morrow’s great-grandnephew Eli Creekmore was fatally beaten by his father at the age of 3. For Morrow, Eli’s death became a motivation get active. She has testified to the state legislature and has managed to get a handful of laws changed to better protect domestic violence victims.

But Morrow told the crowd last Friday that she believes the surface has barely been scratched in the nearly 20 years since Eli died.

“It’s so tough to accept it and appreciate it when there’s so much still to be done,” Morrow commented of the cause, bringing a palpable silence to the otherwise joyous crowd.

A Poulsbo Rotarian since 1996, Morrow first brought up the idea of the service club doing something to fight domestic violence. Along with Steve Foster, Morrow worked with the Kitsap County Housing Authority and YWCA’s Alternatives to Living in a Violent Environment (ALIVE) program to purchase a home in poulsbo that the club worked diligently to renovate. The building became the first transitional house in North Kitsap and opened its doors to the first families in December 2003.

“The main thing was we just began to make people aware of the problem but I think that’s just the beginning,” Morrow commented of the Rotary’s work. “Because people were willing to hear me, I don’t think Eli died in vain.”

Chamber president Pat McFadden noted that she was proud the chamber chose to honor Morrow this year.

“Since I’ve come to this community, Ardis has been an inspiration to me and I hope I can live up to her,” she said, her voice breaking.

Morrow also noted that she wished her late husband could have been on hand Friday night to share in the award with her. She said it was his career and willingness to make a living for their family that allowed her to volunteer in the community.

She also regretted that her two sons, four grandkids and two great-grandchildren were not there to share in the moment. She said she felt one of her greatest accomplishments was raising kids who became such wonderful adults, despite what they may have gone through as children.

“I’m so proud of my two sons who are such great parents,” Morrow noted. “If every kid could grow up to become good parents, that would be wonderful.”