Page 5 - 2022 Contest Edition Tags & Swipes Newsletter

Tags and Swipes, Contest 2022

2022 Marge Bennett Angel Award Winner – Laura Pienkowski!

Region 1 was honored to award the 2022 Marge Bennett Angel Award to Laura Pienkowksi on May 21 in
Springfield. Laura joined the Sound of New England Chorus and Sweet Adelines in the fall of 1996 and has
been giving her time and energy and talents to the organization ever since. She truly has exemplified Marge
Bennett’s character and spirit all these years. It is not the number of roles a person takes on but how the
person lives and gives while in those roles. Marge Bennett was fair and honest, a positive influence,
hardworking, innovative, creative and patient, unselfish and had a huge love for our organization. And this
year, we recognize and honor Laura for those very qualities.

Official Positions:
Chorus - Management team: member, treasurer, team leader
Assistant Director
Music team: member, lead section leader
Choreography/visuals/warm-ups
Region - Regional Management Team, Competition Coordinator

In Laura’s 26 years with Sound of New England, Laura has held just about every leadership role including
management team, music team, choreography team, and assistant chorus director. In addition to the time
and effort she has invested in SONE, Laura did an excellent job as Region 1’s Competition Coordinator for
many years.

Laura LOVES Sweet Adelines and Sound of New England. Her life is music and her knowledge, talents
and level of awareness of all things related to music and visual is extraordinary. Importantly, Laura is a
terrific teacher and mentor.

In addition to singing and things visual, Laura is always willing to assist with administrative chorus
activities when help is needed, whether that’s organizing, planning, brainstorming, executing. She’s very
creative and incredibly skilled in a wide variety of areas, so it’s fun and rewarding to participate in activities
with Laura.

On the personal side, Laura is a loving, caring, compassionate daughter and sister who is unselfish and loyal
to the core when it comes to friendship.

Marion Devokaitis, Director of the Sound of New England Chorus writes “Laura is my right hand. When
no one is willing or able to take on a task, Laura will step forward. She has the knowledge of the written
page, which I do not, so I am then free to do what I want with the music, and she will tell me if it's doable.”

Clearly Laura is a well deserving recipient of this award. Congratulations Laura!

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North Atlantic Region 1 Sweet Adelines