D'Amour's acts of kindness inspire our future

Posted: Jan. 24, 2012

Many little acts of kindness can compound to become one great contribution, and such is the contribution that Mary D'Amour makes to the Mukwonago community. For her commitment and dedication to the young people of Mukwonago, D'Amour has been selected as one of the Chief's Five Who Give.

Ever since D'Amour's oldest son became a student at Section Elementary School, "she's always been an active parent in the school," Bob Slane, Principal at Section Elementary School said.

"My motivation is my kids and my husband," D'Amour said. She initially planned to continue working after having her two boys, but said, "if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." D'Amour stayed home with the children during their first years, and as they entered school, she realized she missed being around people.

"I missed interacting with people so once both of our boys started school, I decided to get involved and help out because … I could."

D'Amour quickly became a parent volunteer at Section Elementary and eventually became president of the Parent Teacher Group (PTG), a title she still holds.

"As the president of the Parent-Teacher Group at Section Elementary, Mary gets things done and gets them done well," Jennifer Cotturone, who nominated D'Amour, said. "Give her a project and the results are guaranteed to be spectacular."

D'Amour was instrumental in organizing a celebration cook out for more than 1,000 people when Section Elementary School won its Blue Ribbon School award in 2010.

"Mary organized a fantastic community celebration - coordinating transportation, entertainment, and food, all in a short time and with a very lim ited budget," Cotturone said.

Slane added that "she went out into the community, got donations, spread the word of what the students accomplished, and was instrumental in planning the celebration," including lining up bounce houses and getting Radio Disney to attend the event.

The Blue Ribbon Celebration is D'Amour's most memorable contribution, she said.

"It was a proud moment for the school and community and most importantly, the kids had a really great time."

As a member of the Mukwonago School Board, "she's extremely organized," Slane said, and D'Amour makes sure everything is in place for each of the committees.

"She never drops the ball. Anything she has going on, she makes sure it's taken care of," Slane explained. "She makes connections with parents so well that she always finds people to get things done at the school, or she'll do it herself," said Slane.

In addition to her roles with the PTG and school board, D'Amour finds time to help organize Sectionfest at the start of each year, help the school acquire new technology through funding efforts, and help run movie and candy bar bingo nights. She also teaches religious education at St. James Church.

Cotturone tells a story where D'Amour was driving home one day behind a bus when she saw a fight break out at the very back. She followed the bus from the Park View Middle School until it came to a stop at Mukwonago High School, all the while watching this fight carry on. D'Amour knocked on the school bus door and introduced herself to the driver. She explained the fight she had seen and told the students that she would be following the bus after school for the next three days. If she saw any signs of the children misbehaving, she was going to follow the bus every afternoon for the rest of the school year.

"Mary didn't take the easy route; instead, she did indeed follow that bus for the next three days. Her actions impressed upon the students the importance of following the rules, and since then … there have been no more fights on that bus," Cotturone stated.

Slane expressed that D'Amour "just constantly looks to see what needs to be done, dreams big, and then gets it done."

"She's an amazing woman. She's a great parent and advocates for her kids. She just does a great job," Slane said.

D'Amour lives with her family in the home her parents built in 1974 and her kids attend the same school that she began attending when it opened in 1982. Her father passed away suddenly in 1979, leaving D'Amour, her four sisters and six brothers to learn at a very young age that not everything in life is free. The family became resourceful.

"There is a song that I love called, 'Photograph' by Nickelback. The lyrics are about the past and present and how some things change and stay the same. You can't alter what you have lived through in your lifetime, but you can take those experiences and put that energy into making things better for those around you," D'Amour said.