Joyce Ellison – Builder
The other half of Prince Albert’s dynamic volunteer duo is rightfully gaining a place in the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in the builder’s category.
Joyce Ellison joins husband Ev in the local shrine for her many years of involvement in softball and bowling. In fact, Joyce is the third member of her family to be given the Hall of Fame honour as daughter Debbie was inducted as part of the Browne’s Dusters softball team in 1990.
Ellison originally started volunteering at softball events in 1960 when her daughter Debbie and husband Ev were constantly at the ball diamond. She helped out with practises and fund‑raising activities and tried to make everything run as smoothly as possible so that the enjoyment of the sport could be brought out to its fullest.
Ellison’s most noteworthy accomplishments, however, were at the bowling alley as she has been involved in the Youth Bowling Council since 1965. During that time she has instructed and coached individual players and teams at numerous zone, provincial and national championships.
For 10 years, Ellison also became a focal point of the Kinsmen Workshop Bowling League. She coached a team to the provincial Special Olympics championship in 1988 and in 1991 she had two of her Kinsmen Workshop bowlers qualify for the provincial team which competed at the Canadian Special Olympics.
Ellison has a teaching certificate for bowling and she holds both a Level 1 and Level 2 coaches’ certificate. She also still competes in the Masters Division and supervises numerous leagues.
An interesting fact about Ellison is that she has been the foster mother of 46 children in addition to her two natural children. For this she was named Prince Albert’s “Mother of The Year” in 1981 and when you combine the workload at home with her volunteer schedule she was justifiably presented with the Saskatchewan Volunteer Recognition Award in 1986.
A recipient of the 1993 Prince Albert Sportswoman of the Year Award, Ellison most certainly deserves a place in the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame.
Inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
