LAS VEGAS — As avid local volunteer Meg Simon nears graduation from Middlebury College, her efforts continue to have an impact on this part of the Green Mountain State — a $3,000 one, for that matter.

The Panther hockey player this winter became the first Middlebury College athlete to be named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian award. Then this month she was named the 31st recipient of this top honor.

The accolade — annually bestowed upon a collegiate hockey player “who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to his or her community through leadership and volunteerism,” per the award website — doesn’t just verify Simon’s efforts. It also leaves the Addison County branch of Special Olympics Vermont with a $3,000 donation from the foundation that presents the award.

“I feel blessed beyond measure to have spent the past four years in Addison County,” Simon said. “It has become such a special place to me, and it will be very hard to leave.”

Simon, who also played on the college’s golf team, has a resume of volunteer experiences about the length of a hockey stick.

Over the past four years she’s given her time to the community as the Panther women’s hockey team co-chair of volunteering, which has afforded her the opportunity to work with the Middlebury Amateur Hockey Association and Special Olympics Vermont. She volunteers with the Yellow House Community in town and service-based clubs at Middlebury College, just to name a few of her efforts.

Though in four years Simon — the daughter of former NHL player Ben Simon — fit in the quantity of volunteering that some would spend a lifetime accumulating, her history of helping long predates the start of college. “I was fortunate to have grown up around the game of hockey. My sister, Kate, and I have moved over 50 times for my dad’s career as a professional hockey player and now coach,” she said.

“Through all of that, my parents were the best constant role models who showed us how important it is to give back and care for others. Volunteering was simply a part of how we were raised.”

When asked about her first volunteer experiences Simon recalled working with kids. “Some of my favorite early memories are from summers spent playing with migrant workers’ children. We would play kickball, do crafts, and just spend time together so their parents could have a bit of a break,” she said.

“We did this every week, and it always meant a lot to me. I also remember going with my dad to hospitals and classrooms, watching him proudly wear his jersey and connect with kids in the community.”

Simon keeps coming back to the work because of how it makes her and those she’s helping feel.

“It truly fills my bucket to see people smile and to know I can make even a small difference. There is something really meaningful about being part of a community and building those connections,” she said.

“It has always been really important to me that I am instrumental, not ornamental.”