Two remarkable seniors who live at the Hamlets of Cedarwood Station in Airdrie are proving you are never too old to make a huge difference in people's lives.  

Part of Ruth Doerr and Peggy Barr's daily routine is to pull out the yarn and knitting needles and create something.  They're part of a group known as the "Cedarwood Stitchers" that was started by the coordinator of the senior's facility.  All of the yarn is donated and the group spends Thursday mornings together knitting.

Ruth and Peggy have taken it a step further and are knitting every day....sometimes all day....creating goods to give to local organizations who help those in need.  Ruth explains, "We take requests from the community and the Lioness ladies come in once in a while and told our coordinator what the needs are."

To date, the ladies have made toques for premature babies at the Peter Lougheed Hospital along with blankets and scarves, caps for cancer patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy treatments, and blankets for the Alberta Children's Hospital.  "Anywhere it's needed," explains Doerr.

Their latest project was to make 30 blankets for babies to be given to the Calgary Drop-In Centre.  Barr says going to that facility was an eye-opening experience and explains the reaction they received when they delivered their goods there.

"Oh, they were really happy.  They were pleased to get everything.  They're really in need of hats and scarves and mitts besides.  We saw what the place was like when we toured it on Monday and it was a shocker.  I was surprised to see how they have to live.  There were 13 babies born there last year."

Doerr says they get a good feeling from giving back but that there's more to what motivates them.  "I know the need is there and I like to do something.  Here we get our rooms cleaned once a week, we don't have to cook and we have all the free time in the world.  I don't care too much for card games and bingo.  I always say when I'm finished I can show something for my time.  I like to do this.  It gives me satisfaction and I have something to concentrate on."

Barr says their next project will be making hats and scarves that they will donate to the cancer centre in Calgary.

The knitting schedule that the two ladies keep would make most people's hands ache just thinking about it.  Doerr gives a play by play of most days.  

"Well, after breakfast we knit 'til lunch and after lunch, we sit in the lobby here and we knit until they call us in for dinner and then afterwards we do the same over.  Sometimes I'm going to bed at 12:00 at night.  When I start a project I want to see it finished, then I go to bed," she laughs.  

Barr adds, "We have nothing else to do so we may as well sit and knit and donate the stuff.  As long as we can get the wool, we'll keep knitting."

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