Kerry Sharp stopped in to fetch the Royal Canadian Legion poppy donation box at Avalon Gardens, one of 85 boxes she distributed this autumn for Branch #21. That鈥檚 when she met resident Irene Brummitt.

鈥淚 had such an amazing conversation with Irene. She is a true hero for veterans,鈥� Sharp said.

Brummitt and other residents of the seniors residence in Murrayville helped raise $401 for veterans.

鈥淪he will be 90 next year but acts more like a vivacious 60-year-old,鈥� Sharp commented. 鈥淸Brummitt] lost her husband, David, just before Christmas last year. After that she was so depressed she thought she would never knit again. But after a while she thought: 鈥淯se it or lose it!鈥� and started again.

Sharp said Brummitt鈥檚 daughter had seen knitted poppies done by a church in Calgary. Irene got ahold of a pattern, enlisted her friends, May Garrett and Cathie Thomas, then they all got to work knitting.

鈥淭hey took orders once the idea really started to take off. In the end they raised $401.05 for the Veterans which they donated to Branch #21 for the Poppy Fund,鈥� Sharp explained.

Sharp had a chance to chat with Brummitt after Remembrance Day.

鈥淪he said 鈥業 feel so privileged that God has blessed me by giving me my talent back, because we are not useless just because we are older鈥� Isn鈥檛 that just an understatement?鈥� Sharp said.