We’re celebrating National Volunteer Week by introducing you to a handful of our amazing volunteers! Today we’re profiling Mary Avallone Watts, who has chaired our New Orleans Golf Tournament since it began in 2010. Here’s what we learned about Mary in a recent interview:

I discovered The Pablove Foundation by…
A life long friendship with co-founder Jo Ann Thrailkill.

I volunteer for The Pablove Foundation by…
Doing anything and everything I can! Anyone who knows me knows about Pablove. In the fall after Pablo passed, my husband and I were driving our daughter to play baseball with the Miracle League and were having a conversation about Pablove. We have to pass Audubon Golf course to get there and my husband came up with the idea that we could host a golf tournament to benefit Pablove. I wanted the event to be a true New Orleans event – great food, drinks, and music were a must. We organized the event and Jo Ann’s father, Harry and his friends Brian Hotard and Ralph Cormier spread the word and filled the field. I solicited help from my family and friends as well as Jo Ann & Jeff’s family and friends. It came together and the tournament was a huge success and has since taken on a life of its own. Currently I am working on having a fundraising day with Jefferson Parish School System during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

My go-to, can’t-live-without treat is…
My daughter. Spending time and doing fun things with her is what keeps me grounded and at peace.

When I’m not fighting childhood cancer with love I am…
Mom to a 15-year-old girl, a wife, CEO of my household, a paralegal/legal assistant and help run our neighborhood swim & tennis club.

My formula for happiness is…

• Spending time with people I love
• Making my feelings known, pleasant or not, but always politely and respectfully (I hope)
• Lounging poolside
• Finding a great bargain
• Feeling like I have accomplished some of the things I have set out to do

I fell in pablove with The Pablove Foundation when…
I read the Pablog while Pablo was in treatment. Reading the blog was the first thing I did every morning and I knew I had to contribute in some way.

Want to join Mary on our volunteer team? Sign up at pablove.org/get-involved/volunteer and you’ll see why we pablove our volunteers!