PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR RUTHE PENNER

"It is hard to know where to begin when sharing the long list of significant contributions made by our winner of time, dedication, energy, passion and heart to the Shelter Foundation. She is a genuine champion for the cause to end violence against women. She has been a long time generous supporter of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty year after year. She is the only person in the country to be part of being recognized 4 times with Shelter Awards. She was the original individual of the year in Manitoba and the impassioned leader of the teams that won for the extraordinary Royal Rack & Roll and Royal Roar event. Those events were so creative and incredible and while they were truly a team effort involving many of you – we’ve heard time and time again that they wouldn’t have happened without this special woman. She was part of the group that put on the now famous award-winning Winnipeg Garage sale and inspired much of their efforts. She acted as an articulate spokesperson for the Shelter Foundation and Osborne House giving some of the most compelling and passionate media interviews ever on our issue. Almost every year she hops on a plane to fly all the way to Toronto to attend our national Shelter Gala because she believes so much in the cause and couldn’t imagine not being there. We couldn’t imagine her not being there either since she is such an important part of the fabric of our foundation. From the moment I took over the Shelter Foundation she has been my rock and a source of advice, counsel, mentorship and inspiration. She is so giving of her time to share new ideas and suggestions with us to help us improve our national efforts and move the Shelter Foundation to new heights because she cares os much. And she does all of this while being one of the busiest women I have ever ever met. She inspires us with her energy and compassion and selflessness and is a true champion of our cause. And this award is not just about what she did in 2009 but what she’s been doing for so so so many years – setting an example for every Shelter Foundation from coast to coast with her incredible belief in our work. And she might be one of the loveliest, big hearted, kindest, generous, most stunning women in all of Canada."  SANDRA DIAZ  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR  ROYAL LEPAGE FOUNDATION