Hilary Emmer, one of Vashon’s most celebrated activists, received the first-ever Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service from King County Councilmember Joe McDermott Monday for her years of work on behalf of low-income people.

During a ceremony in the council chambers of the King County Courthouse, McDermott noted her free tax preparation work, the dental van she brought to the island and the months she spent helping people enroll in the Affordable Care Act — all examples, he said, of the kind of service King stood for.

“We’d be here for days if I told you about everything she’s done for Vashon,” McDermott said before placing a bronze medal around her neck. About a dozen people from Vashon looked on and applauded.

Each of the nine councilmembers awarded a medal to one constituent in his or her district, the first time such an award has been issued. McDermott said he chose Emmer because he’s deeply impressed by her tenacity on behalf of low-income islanders. “She makes me do a better job,” he said, smiling.

Emmer, in remarks to the crowded chamber, said she has been motivated to help those less fortunate because of the island’s famous motto, “Keep Vashon weird.”

“To me,” she said, “that means all people belong on Vashon, including poor people.” And it makes her happy, she added, “to see these people walking down the street, smiling and with their dignity.”

After the ceremony — which honored several people who have spent years helping homeless or low-income people — Emmer and her dozen supporters headed off to a downtown restaurant. The medal around her neck bore a likeness of MLK and said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

— Leslie Brown