Pitt Meadows’ own Francesca DeGroot is 92 years young and has been nominated as a Fabulous Senior.
“Mrs. DeGroot inspires me, and I feel she deserves some recognition from her community,” said Donna Lynn Prior in sending in a picture and a little history about her mentor.
Originally from the Netherlands, she was a young lady when Canadian soldiers arrived to free her town, Prior noted. She immigrated to Canada and married a widower with two children, “whom she loved and raised as her own.”
DeGroot remains active – walking and swimming every day – when the pool is open.
A widow herself, DeGroot knits hundreds of hand puppets that are distributed to children worldwide each year through the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Program.
“She willing helps anyone in anyway, who she can, and has been showing support for frontline workers during the pandemic by displaying colourful hearts in all her windows and going out onto her porch at 7 [p.m.] to bang on a pot,” said Prior – who first met her four years ago in her capacity as a healthcare worker.
“Now, I consider her a friend.”
News readers are encouraged to share pictures and potentially win some loot while paying homage to a special senior in our life.
Send in a photo of a special local senior in your life, tell us why they’re significant to you, and you could win a $150 gift card through the Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association.
READ MORE: Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge seniors honoured in novel ways for Seniors’ Week
Organized through the Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Katzie Seniors Network and the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News, this photo contest welcomes public submissions from people of all ages.
Participating is easy. You have until the end of the day today (Monday, June 8) to enter and all entries go into a draw.
Simply send your Fabulous Senior photo to contests@mapleridgenews.com. It will be added to a virtual photo exhibit that will be displayed here on The News website and our social media channel.
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