The advice of her parents still resonates in Mary Larson's life.

It's something simple, really, but challenging to live by.

She has never stopped trying, never stopped doing.

Here it is: Leave a place better than you found it.

It's what has always inspired the Coeur d'Alene resident. It is what still drives her today.

"It all comes back to the way I was raised," she said.

And she has made a difference, especially for the community she lives in.

"If I see a need, I just do what needs to be done," she said.

No surprise, really, since she's the kind of person who likes to mow the lawn to relax.

Larson recently received the Panhandle State Bank Community Star award this year. For years, she has volunteered for the Coeur d'Alene School District, especially at Lakes Middle School. She has been involved in PTA, Excel Foundation, long range planning and senior graduation. She has been a driving force behind the Wolverine card program that has raised thousands for Lakes, and the Cruising for Kids fundraiser for programs at Lake City and Coeur d'Alene high schools.

And as it stands, she has no plans to slow down. That's just not her style.

"I think that if you took just one thing and got involved with it, it does make a difference," she said.

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What did you think of receiving Panhandle State Bank's Community Star Award this year?

I was overwhelmed. It was just kind of a culmination of all the things that I had done, and I had no idea. I just do. I don't pay attention to why or what for. I see a need and I go help, get it resolved.

Where did you get this willingness to step up?

My parents have always been involved in the community where they lived, and so that's the way you do it. When we were growing up, we'd go on these vacations and we'd stop at a roadside park, have breakfast and when we were all done dad would say, 'Go around and pick up all the garbage. We need to leave the place better than we found it.' Through the years, that's always been it. Leave the place better than we found it. I've always tried to do that. As we got older and volunteered, that's kind of been the mantra.

What does it take to be a super volunteer or organizer of other volunteers?

A lot of it is just talking to people and being on the phone, going out and soliciting companies, going places.

I think the hardest thing is finding the people interested in participating and getting that information out there. It's marketing.

Is there an area you believe you made a particular difference?

Saving Trail Creek. We moved here September of 2006. My older son was a sixth-grader at Lakes. Walked in, handed him over to Chris Hammons. Two days later he took off for Trail Creek. We knew no one in this town. We just decided this is where we wanted to live.

It was one of the best experiences for him, that quickly to be thrown in with a group of new kids. They blended, built teams. It was fabulous.

From that, I saw what a great experience it was for building teams. And then two years later my younger son Jonathan was coming into Lakes and I saw in the paper they were talking about canceling Trail Creek.

So I called Chris Hammons and said what can I do? He says, 'I don't know. It looks like it's already on the chopping block.' So I got a group of parents from Lakes and called people from Canfield as well as Woodland. I said, 'We've got to try and save this.' We met and met and met. Fortunately, it didn't get cut, but funding was certainly reduced. The other two schools opted out. But Chris said, 'No, we're going.' So we did a bunch of fundraising and got Lakes kids there that year, even though it wasn't until the spring. It was kind of my pet that I wouldn't let it go. The following year we brought it back full force at Lakes and this year this fall for the first time, it will be at all three middle schools again.

I'm thrilled. I think it's one of those programs, for a kid moving into a middle school that kind of gives them that independence, but there's a security around it. It teaches them leadership and bonds them with other kids in their classes.

I can't think of a better way for our kids to move into middle school.

Are you trying to set a good example for others?

I don't want to be an example. I want people to see what I've done and maybe think that it's not as hard as it looks, I can get involved.

Do you have enough people here who step up to help?

I think there's plenty of people who step up. People just want to be asked. Whenever I've asked them, I say, 'I understand you're probably busy, can you do this?' As long as you give them a specific task, then they're probably a little more willing, if they know where their parameters are and how much they have to get involved. I think most people are organized enough and smart enough to say, 'Oh, I can do that.'

What's your management style?

I'm not a micromanager. I give feedback. I say, 'Where are we with this?' It will get done. I always believe people will get it done.

Are you one of those high-energy people?

I take a nap every day. I probably sleep eight hours a night. It drives my husband crazy. If I'm tired I just put my head down and go to sleep and wake up ready to go.

What do you see down the road?

I kind of backed away from Lakes after my sons went on. I think next year I'll probably do a little more over there. That school has a need. As far as backing off? Probably, eventually, not sure.

There was a report the other day that said Idaho was second to last in education funding. What do you think of that? Can volunteers make up the lack of funding?

It just frustrates me that we don't seem to value education the way we should. I would like to get more people involved at the school. Going in and reading to students, or helping out at the library. It becomes a commitment. If you're going to go to a school, it's something you have to do consistently. The teachers rely on you being there. I just try to be there for them.

SNAPSHOT

Mary Larson

Date of birth: Sept. 9, 1961

Family: Husband, Greg, two sons.

Education: General studies University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Hobbies: Mowing the lawn.

Favorite music: Older country, Marshall Tucker Band

Favorite movie: "The Lion in Winter"

Favorite author: P.G. Wodehouse

Favorite spectator sport: People watching in the airport. It's always humorous.

Quality you admire most in a person: Diligence

Any one person who most influenced your life: My parents, Vernon and Norma Mall. I have five sisters. We all have that same strong, core value.

Any one thing you consider your greatest accomplishment: Saving Trail Creek.

Best advice you ever received: Leave a place better than you found it.