N.S. girl crochets Ukrainian-inspired whales to raise money for war-torn country

A 12-year-old Nova Scotia girl recently used her crocheting skills to help raise money for Ukraine.

Gemma Jupp learned how to crochet from her grandmother last Christmas and grew a love for the hobby.

When the middle school student learned about the war in Ukraine, she started thinking of ways she could help.

"So, I made little tiny whales to fundraise for Ukraine," said Gemma.

Gemma's Ukrainian-inspired whales have a blue top and yellow belly.

In total, she crocheted 30 whales, all of which were sold for about $5 each at the True Colours Nail Salon in Lower Sackville, N.S.

"It was really awesome to see everybody deciding to buy them and we're really proud of Gemma," said Gemma's mother, Krista Jupp.

"She worked really hard. This was something that, after a few, sometimes she wanted to move onto something else, but she knew how important it was and she set a goal of 30 and she met her goal. We are ridiculously proud of her."

In the end, Gemma raised close to $200, which she donated to the Canadian Red Cross.

"It made me feel really good, like I can help in some way," Gemma said.