The collection of a lifetime for a woman in Upper Gullies will soon be paying off big time for the Royal Canadian Legion.

Madonna Porter amassed quite the collection of memorabilia over the years, including 500 Barbie Dolls, chess sets, cans, radios and more.

Late last month, upon hearing of how the legion has been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to donate the entire collection to the organization.

Mrs. Porter says her collection is worth $250,000.

I'm told Mrs. Porter calls this her "museum" @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/o6cPXDTb2P

— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) July 11, 2020

The Legion has lost about $200,000 since March, and according to Branch One President Greg Greening, right now they are losing about $50,000 a month.

Greening notes all the items will be auctioned off and the proceeds will help them survive until a vaccine can be found. He calls it a”great good will story” and expresses his thanks for the donation.

Mrs. Porter was beaming with pride for the donation, but admits letting go of the collection isn’t easy.

She says it’s a sad day to see everything go, but persists that she is happy, calling it “the best thing I ever done in my life.”

Some of what's in Mrs. Porter's collection @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/8PpocTfjrO

— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) July 11, 2020