Before that, the initiative hopes to break a
world record by collecting 21 000 blankets before April 2015. The blankets will
first be displayed at the feet of the Nelson Mandela statue at the Union
Buildings on the Tuesday, 21 April to celebrate South Africa’s 21 years of
democracy.
Airlink and Stuttaford Van Lines will collect
the thousands of blankets and will return them to their places of origin for
distribution to those in need as soon as the cold strikes.
“Over the past year, many people have asked me
how they could get involved in this incredible initiative, despite the fact
that they can’t knit or crochet. We now have a solution,” says Carolyn Steyn,
founder of
67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.
67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day have
established drop-off points across the country for wool donations. The
wool will then be distributed to knitting enthusiasts and transformed into beautiful
blankets for those in need.
“There are so many knit-wits out there who can and want to knit, but don’t have
the resources to do so. For example, we have recently launched the 67 Blankets
for Nelson Mandela Day initiative at the Zonderwater Correctional Centre. The
prisoners have already knitted a number of squares for us and are willing and
able to knit more, they just need wool. That’s where you come in. We hope that
in the spirit of good-wool, South Africans will donate generously,” says Steyn.
Anyone who wishes to contribute wool can visit the 67
Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
website or call +27 61 767 6767. Alternatively, visit and like their page on
Facebook and follow them on
Twitter.