A Special Request from the Nurses

Just twelve hours after moving into a new retirement home, 109-year-old Alfie Date received an unusual request from two nurses. They had heard he knew how to knit and needed his help. The nurses asked if he would make tiny sweaters for little penguins (also known as fairy penguins) that were affected by a recent oil spill.

Alfie, who was Australia's oldest living person at the time, agreed without hesitation.

A Lifetime of Knitting Skills

Alfie's knitting journey began back in 1932 when he made a jumper for his brother's newborn baby. Since then, he never put his needles down. Now, his decades of skill would help save tiny creatures in need.

He was answering the call of the Phillip Island Penguin Foundation, using his talents to protect the smallest members of another species.

How Tiny Sweaters Save Penguin Lives

When oil spills coat a little penguin's feathers, the birds try to clean themselves by instinct. This can cause them to swallow toxic chemicals that harm them.

The small sweaters Alfie made served as temporary protective barriers. They kept the penguins from ingesting the harmful oil until rescue teams could fully clean and rehabilitate them.

This simple solution had a high success rate for this particular breed of penguin. Alfie took his role as penguin tailor very seriously, and nearly every rescued penguin was successfully released back into the wild.

Never Stopping His Helpful Hands

Alfie's kindness didn't end with the penguins. When the penguin sweater closet was filled, he turned his attention to making tiny hats for premature babies.

Right up until he passed peacefully at 110 years old, Alfie never stopped using his passion to help others. His story shows that we can use our skills to make a difference at any age.