Durban KnitWits rally to support charity
Many people supported the Knithathon for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.
A TOTAL of 109 blankets were collected at the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day knitathon at Westville Country Club on Sunday, 8 February.
Carolyn Steyn, organiser from KnitWits for Madiba, said she was so proud of the Durban KnitWits, who had been creating these blankets in the middle of summer with their own two hands.
“I am so proud of our Durban KnitWits for Madiba, because they have really shown their ‘goodwool’. It was so wonderful to see them all standing in line in the heat of the day to register and hand in their hand-made blankets,” said Steyn.
This event, co-ordinated by Caroline Smart, produced by Roland Stansell of the Rhumbelow Theatre and hosted by Jonathan Roxmouth, featured an all-star cast of performers including Steven Stead, Lisa Bobbert, Aaron McIlroy, Andy Turrell, The Glitter Girls, Ella Grealy, Pinkie Mtshali and Ewan Slabber.
This blanket handover and knitathon aimed to motivate more South Africans to get those needles clicking. The entrance fee to the concert was a blanket made with love (140cm x 180cm) or two baby blankets (90cm x 110cm). For those who did not complete a blanket, the purchase of 1.5kgs of wool gained them entrance to the show.
Steyn said the KnitWits for Madiba are knitting away with the aim of producing 21 000 blankets to celebrate 21 years of democracy, and for an awareness drive and world record-breaking attempt.
“We aim to make this project a household name by displaying our woollen wares at the feet of the Nelson Mandela statue at the Union Buildings in April,” said Steyn.
She added that an aerial photo of a sea of blankets around the feet of the Madiba statue is bound to cause an international stir and attract even more supporters to the cause.
The thousands of blankets made around South Africa will be transported to Gauteng by Airlink and Stuttafords Van Lines, and then returned to their creators to be distributed to those in need when the cold strikes. The cut-off date for the collections is 15 April.
She added that the current world record is 7 800 blankets, collected at a cathedral in Helsinki, but believes that South Africans can definitely beat this if all joined in the project.
If people want to drop off their blankets they can contact their local ambassador. Ambassadors are listed on the website, www.67blankets.co.za. They can also join the Facebook group, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day (SA). There are many KnitWits for Madiba who are happy to collect the blankets on behalf of 67 Blankets.
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