She is simply a woman of poise, strength and altruism.

Mary Ellen married Elwood Clark in 1964 and worked a family farm located near the Springhill District. She raised her son, David and daughter Donna Mae as well as another boy, Michael who came to live with the Clark family from the age of 10 to 18.

"My kids always said to me when we took care of Michael, 'mom, please make sure Michael has the chance to come and do everything we do. We want him to be raised them same as we are'. The fact that my kids were so open to this boy, it just touches my heart," Clark said.

Clark began to become involved in community volunteering when her kids were involved in sports such as hockey and figure skating and school activities.

"I was involved with the Yellowhead Centre, worked at the canteen when at that time it was run by the Yellowhead Ladies Auxiliary, I became a chairman on the Yellowhead Arena Board. I found that the community needed a leadership role.

I was also very involved with our United Church. When we built the new building I was chairman of that committee too, as well as a Sunday School teacher. Beta Sigma Phi has been apart of my life for nearly 40 years," Clark said.

"All the homecomings and community celebrations, I've been involved at an executive level over the years."

For Clark, her involvement all began with a belief in community. In understanding it takes volunteers to make a community, and it takes them to make things happen.

"I needed to take a leadership role. My main passion is just being involved. In order to volunteer, you have to have the support of home, those at your home have to be alongside you with what you are trying to accomplish, that's huge," Clark said.

In 1995, Clark was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was working at Royal Bank of Canada at the time, and although people would assume she was going to make this all about her, that was not the case.

"I never question 'why me'. I went through radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, but never why me," Clark said.

Her family was right by her side through everything.

"We are a tight knit family. They were so very supportive. We always have been a home with a open house to my kids, their friends, everyone was always welcome. Even my grandkids bring by their friends to the home. I have a respect for the youth and people. You need to have respect, and if you don't respect yourself, you can't respect others," Clark said.

"After all my treatments I returned back to work in RRSP season, because I had to take care of my clients, that's who I am. But at the end of the day, I was wore out. I ended up retiring in 1997, and I think it was a blessing, there was a bigger plan for me."

That bigger plan turned out to be more volunteer and community work. Clark was asked to be a part of a committee to find out what could to be done for palliative care in Neepawa. From there they established the program, and she became the volunteer co-ordinator, and still is today.
With her son Dave heavily involved with the Neepawa Natives Jr. A hockey club, he asked his mom for a big favour.

"David came to me and asked if I would consider being a billet. I said I needed to think about it overnight. There were three kids needing homes. I thought maybe I would try it for a week, so when i phoned the coach to let him know I would give it a try, he asked which guy I would take, I think I blew him away by saying all three, and I've never looked back," Clark said.

Those three boys are still in contact today with Clark, and she has never had less than three billeted boys in her home, sometimes even more. It has definitely turned into a successful program for Clark.

"You establish relationships with these men, with their families, parents and grandparents, once again my home became an open house, and I love it. I still stay in touch with all the families and boys that have ever been with me," Clark said.

The phone rings off the hook for her when it's Mother's Day or Christmas.

In 2009, when Clark was re-diagnosed with breast cancer, she was on the phone with one of her many billeted boys, she said she told him what was going on.

"He asked me, 'do the other guys know?', and I told him not yet and he told me they do now. He had texted them all while on the phone with me. After I hung up with him, my phone rang and rang. It was their young energy that pulled me though. You have to fight, you have to battle through," Clark said.

"I always have had high expectations for myself, and in return that trickles down to those boys. they say 'Mary Ellen, you put a high bar for yourself and we need to meet that bar too', that is such a good feeling."

Clark is full of positive energy, she exudes positivity through every pore of her body.
"Negativity is not a part of me, it gets you nowhere. You have to see the good in everything and everyone. Because, everyone has a lot of potential to give in a different way," Clark said.

Clark acknowledges with today's advancements in technology it's so easy to text or Facebook a person, but she prefers staying in contact with her boys through phone calls.

"We spend hours yakking. My role is non-judgmental. I'm not these boys' mother, just another person in their life that cares about them. I create a home away from home. Hockey is why they are here, but developing them into young adults is just as major. They need a safe environment, to be cared for, loved and provided for," Clark said.

Three years ago she took on the responsibility of billet co-ordinator for the Natives organization. When Clark's son, David asked, she said she couldn't say no.

"As the billet co-ordinator, it has its challenges, such as finding good billet homes with a good environment. We need it to be full of positive energy for these young men," Clark said.

When Neepawa Natives head coach and general manager, Bryant Perrier came to the organization last year, Clark said the billet program rose to a new level.

"We both have high expectations for the care that these young athletes receive. Working with Bryant and the organization has been a great experience because we are going in a great direction and it's positive for the community. These boys follow a code of conduct, the rapport with the billet families and staff made us a good unit," Clark said.

Clark remains active in the breast cancer community through the Breast Cancer Centre of Hope and Cancer Care Manitoba. She is the community contact and they meet annually for new programs that come out to support and promote women cancers. She also has been a chair on the Neepawa Cancer Support Group for 15 years.

"I'm fulfilled with my community events. I make time for my family, grandchildren's activities, I don't do much for myself. I enjoy taking trips, I love Mexico. My daughter lives out east and so I enjoy going to visit her too," Clark said.

Her kids, and eight grandchildren are all starting to take active roles in the community as well.
"You know, I just love that they are taking and hope for them to take leadership roles. All of them seem to be following in my footsteps, it's so fulfilling," Clark said.

Along with a Woman of Distinction Award from the YWCA and Neepawa Chamber of Commerce, Ryan McLaughlin nominated Clark for the RBC Local Hockey Leaders award, and she was one of 14 winners for the award, without knowing anything about the nomination until a letter arrived in the mail.

"I was so shocked, and so excited and humbled all at the same time. The tears started falling," Clark said.

The national winners will attend a banquet on June 16 in Toronto where they will be featured at the Hockey Hall of Fame with a permanent display, they are also awarded $10,000 to give to a hockey club of their choice.

"I'm going to give the money to the Natives for the purchasing of equipment. I sent away for my display a cell phone because that's how I stay in contact with my players and a Natives game puck. I also sent photos of me with some of my billets. I can't wait to see what they do," Clark said.

"The publicity for this award is huge. TSN has contacted me, I went to the RBC Cup final in Dauphin. This is huge for our club too and this community on a national level. All I can think is ‘wow'. And this isn't just about me, it's about the community," Clark said.

Clark wants to see herself travelling more in the future and being healthy. She wants to travel and visit her hockey families across Canada and the United States.

"I can't wait to go and visit them all. I love my boys, they are all my boys," Clark said.
Given her current involvement in many farm and leisure lottos such as the three for Country Meadows, the Natives and now the Community Medical Clinic, she wants to continue.

"Support from the larger communities are greatly appreciated for these lottos. But support from the smaller areas also, it takes people to become involved to make it happen. We need volunteers. We live in a very good community, people support and are very caring, it's great, and it doesn't matter what it is," Clark said.

"At the end of the day, I am still me. I do what I do and I enjoy it, it's not about me, it's about making a difference."