Anzac Day: Crocheted poppies help RSA

DONATION: Suzanne Cole (left), with her father John, hands over a donation of $430 to Cathy Donaghue, RSA Rotorua's operations manager. PHOTO/DANIEL O'MAHONY

Suzanne Cole started making her crocheted poppies on a creative whim in the run-up to Anzac Day - and is glad she did.

"I can make creative things, and I just started making these off the top of my head at Easter," she said.

"Then I read the article in the paper about the RSA being in trouble."

Ms Cole's moment of inspiration paid off yesterday when she was able to present RSA Rotorua operations manager Cathy Donoghue with $430 in cash, raised from the sale of 120 crocheted poppies.

Each one took at least half an hour to make and had its own unique design. Ms Cole, a court registrar at Rotorua District Court, said she had been selling the poppies all over town, including to lawyers outside the courthouse.

Some of the people she had met along the way had made the experience of raising money all the more special.

"I have been overwhelmed by the response," she said.

"When I have been selling them people have been telling me the most amazing stories."

She hoped her efforts would make some small difference to the fortunes of the RSA.

"It's so important for our community."

Mrs Donoghue said the support the RSA had received from Ms Cole and others over the past few weeks had been "absolutely amazing".

"We have been overwhelmed by people's generosity."

The RSA started out with 23,000 paper poppies of its own to sell - by yesterday, almost all were sold out.

"I only have 500 left for the service [today]," Mrs Donoghue said.

One person who will proudly wearing his poppy at today's service will be Ms Cole's father, John, who joined his daughter to hand over the money.

Mr Cole, 77, said he had been an RSA member for 10 years, and fully intended to be at the club after today's service at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

He was proud of his daughter's money-raising efforts.

"I'm very pleased that it will be making a small contribution."