Australia’s oldest man spent his final days peacefully knitting tiny sweaters to help penguins in need
If you ask a true animal lover where they would want to spend their final moments, their answer will be simple—immersed in nature, surrounded by the creatures they love. Alfred Date was no exception. The extraordinary man who once held the title of Australia's oldest living man spent his last years knitting sweaters for injured penguins. In 2001, a devastating oil spill threatened the survival of little penguins on Phillip Island. Following the unfortunate incident, the Penguin Foundation called out all experienced knitters to create sweaters for the penguins, as reported by Hello Care.
Well, those sweaters weren't like your regular garments—they were meticulously designed to absorb the toxic oil and prevent the penguins from consuming the harmful substance. The foundation's search for knitters connected them to Date, and he just couldn't say no! “It’s amazing, and we feel quite privileged to have him dedicating his time and effort to the Penguin Foundation,” Danene Jones, an official, had shared. Interestingly, despite his age, Date never compromised in his work. "I like to make it without mistakes, and I don't excuse myself for doing it. (But) I think there is an excuse for a person who's gone beyond the normal span of life. The girls who used to work for me, they'll tell you I'm a sucker. I can't say no. It's a good way of getting along in life. You make friends all the time, but you don't make a fool of yourself either," he had revealed to Daily Mail.
The special sweaters had a positive impact on the penguins, saving countless of them. The foundation's great initiative not only earned them recognition but also opened doors for donations. Unfortunately, Date, fondly called the 'most senior little penguin jumper knitter,' passed away in 2016. However, even after his demise, his great legacy would live on forever.
Meanwhile, this incredible story about Date resurfaced when an individual (u/binherz on Reddit) shared his remarkable contribution to the platform. Reacting to the wholesome post, u/specialk247 commented, "This is the stuff we need in the news! No wonder everything is what it is!! Damn. Made my night after a very long day. Thank you to him and thank you to OP." Similarly, u/minflick shared, "He did that for years and years, I think. I remember reading about him and his little sweaters for teeny fairy penguins several years ago. What a lovely legacy!" u/maatmom commented, "This is so sweet! What a precious way to spend your days." u/spotpuzzleheaded3624 revealed, "My mom knitted baby blankets and hats for premature babies. When her eyesight got so bad she couldn’t knit anymore, she crocheted waterproof 'blankets' out of plastic grocery bags. Miss her!"
On the other hand, u/hammersticks359 revealed, "My grandmother did this, and I was convinced it wasn't a real thing. Nice to see she wasn't just sending sweaters off into the ether." u/flyingpoopoo wrote, "This is how I want to spend my retirement. That's so cute!" u/amesann said, "I crochet, and this is absolutely how I will spend the last years of my life. Penguins, kitties, bearded dragons. Who am I kidding...this is how I already spend my years." u/melodiousmurderer wrote, "There’s a beautiful kids book called 'Flipper and Finnegan,'" which is all about the oil spill disaster. The jumpers helped keep the penguins warm and stopped them from trying to clean themselves and accidentally swallowing the oil until they could all be looked after."