Newport’s Ellen Stanley Receives the Mark Prue Spirit Award
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Special Olympics Vermont and local members of the Newport Penguin Plunge planning committee selected Ellen Stanley as 2013 recipient of the Mark Prue Spirit Award. Ellen braved the winter waters of Lake Memphremagog during the inaugural Newport Penguin Plunge eleven years ago and since then, has served as a founding member of the planning committee, helping to rally community support for the event and Special Olympics Vermont.
The award was named for Mark Prue, the longtime owner of the South Troy General Store. He was a great advocate for Special Olympics Vermont and helped organize the annual event it its early years. Upon his death in 2005, the committee created the award to honor his memory, charitable spirit, and generosity. Past recipients of the award include Bob Udell, Stephen“Holmes” Lowell, and Steve Edgerley.
In February 2013, Ellen took the Penguin Plunge with a team of colleagues from Passumpsic Savings Bank. The 8-member team raised $931 that directly supports the 1,071 SOVT athletes around the state. Passumpsic Savings Bank also sponsored the 2013 Newport Penguin Plunge helping the event raise a grand total of $25,125.
Special Olympics Vermont and the Newport Penguin Plunge planning committee wish to thank Ellen for her dedication and generosity over the last decade. While her time on the committee has come to a close, Ellen promises to Plunge for the 12th year in a row in February, 2014.