Massive blanket to honour Mandela
“The blanket will be big enough to be seen from outer space.”
What is believed to be “the largest portrait blanket in the world” will be unveiled in honour of former president Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday this year.
The portrait blanket will be made up of thousands of individual blankets and will be bigger than 8 000 square metres.
“The blanket will be big enough to be seen from outer space,” according to 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day founder Carolyn Steyn.
The portrait blanket will be unveiled on 24 April at the Zonderwater maximum correctional centre in Cullinan.
Afterwards, the individual blankets will be transported by Stuttafords Van Lines to communities across South Africa where they will be given to those in need ahead of the cold winter months, said Steyn.
School children; church groups; old age homes; the Johannesburg society for the blind; as well as prisoners throughout the country have all helped in making individual blankets for this project over the past year.
ALSO READ: Series of events to honour Madikizela-Mandela
Some of the blankets have been received from as far as England, Wales, Ireland, the United States, Australia and India.
Steyn said Mandela’s 100th birthday year was a reminder that he continued to be a beacon of hope for people.
“We look up to his life lessons which are centred on empowering people,” said Steyn.
The department of correctional services officially partnered with 67 Blankets in 2014.
Steyn was particularly proud of the work the inmates at Zonderwater had done in creating more than 1 600 blankets for the final blanket.
“The initiative has enabled people living behind bars to contribute to a society that has been affected by crime and poverty.”
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
