Ginger Passaelli-Senecal of Black Diamond recipient for award for her work with Soup Ladies

Mama’s got another award to add to her collection.

Ginger Passarelli-Senecal, affectionately known simply as “Mama,” is one of two recipients for the 2012 Frank Kampsen Community Spirit Award for her work with The Soup Ladies.

She will receive the award at the Behind the Badge Foundation’s 14th annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ball and Auction on Saturday, April 14 at the Hilton in SeaTac.

According to the foundation’s Executive Director Kit Ford, Passarelli won the award due to her work providing hot meals for law enforcement officials who worked during in the line of duty deaths, such as the Lakewood Memorial Service and the death of Ranger Margaret Anderson.

“She has such a huge heart,” Ford said.

The Soup Ladies provide meals for first-responders during rescue efforts, search and rescue and natural disasters. Last year, they traveled to Joplin, Mo., after a tornado hit to provide food for victims and first-responders.

Behind the Badge Foundation is an organization created from the combining of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial and 10-99 Foundations.

In the letter to Passarelli, Ford wrote:

“Ginger, your face, has become synonymous with bringing comfort and a little taste of peace to those within the thin blue line. You are cherished and loved by many law enforcement officers and their family members — you have touched many lives serving others. You and the ‘Soup Ladies’ also fed many of us as we assisted with the planning as well as during the line of duty death memorial services over these past few years.”

Passarelli said she is honored by the award and had a strong reaction when she read the letter from Ford.

“I cried,” she said. “It’s a really nice letter.”

 

Contact Covington Reporter Reporter TJ Martinell at tmartinell@maplevalleyreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5052.

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