91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Penny Pincher thrift store celebrated their respective 75th and 45th anniversaries with a cake and an outdoor sale at the store on Saturday, July 9.

Barb Stewart, president of the 91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Board of Directors, said the store is recovering from the effects of the pandemic, which forced it to close its doors for a period of time.

鈥淚t鈥檚 picking up,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淏usiness is getting better.鈥�

Anne Kern, Fraser Valley area director for the BC Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries, and a Penny Pincher volunteer, said it was 鈥渄ue in all part to our donors and to our volunteers.鈥�

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 do it with out them,鈥� Kern remarked, we鈥檙e very grateful.鈥�

READ ALSO: 91原创鈥檚 hospital auxiliary throwing 75th anniversary party

Volunteer Sandy Cameron said she used to shop at the Penny Pincher store before she retired in 2006 and decided to come on board.

鈥淚ts a great place to shop,鈥� Cameron commented, 鈥渁 great place to volunteer.鈥�

The 91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary traces its history back to a group of local women sewing bandages for the First World War called the 鈥淭himble Club,鈥� who sewed bandages to be used for wounded soldiers.

Since 1994, the local auxiliary has donated about $11 million to the hospital.

Currently, the thrift store, located on the one-way at , is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Saturdays, the housewares store is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the clothing store is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Both are closed Sundays.

For more information, or to donate, email auxiliary.lmh@fraserhealth.ca or phone 604-514-6161.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 91原创鈥檚 hospital auxiliary pinches pennies to kick in $1.5 million for ER expansion

More photos from the day can be viewed at the .