(Pauline
Dalais and Judith Ntsele of the artSMart knit-wit team hard at work on their
blanket which they will present on June 15)
On June 15, 2014, KZN ‘knit-wits’ from
Zululand, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, the Midlands and the Drakensberg, will
congregate at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site in Howick for a good cause.
The cause is 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela
Day – an initiative that aims to collect thousands of handmade blankets which
will be distributed to those in need on Nelson Mandela Day (July 18).
According to Carolyn Steyn, Founder of 67
Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day: “This Father’s Day, we’ll be celebrating the
father of our nation by hosting a concert organised by actress and our Midlands
Ambassador, Annie Robinson Grealy, for our loyal ‘knit-wits’ who have been
working so hard to create blankets for those less fortunate. Stitch by stitch
we will be keeping people around our beautiful country – and around the world –
warm this winter.”
The ‘knit-wits’ are in for a special treat
with performances by acclaimed South African troubadour Nibs Van der Spuy; passionate
and versatile musician Kaolin Thomson; one of South Africa's leading concert
pianists, Christopher Duigan; Pietermaritzburg based musician and Idols finalist Erin Fourie, and Steyn’s
goddaughter, Ella Grealy. Even if you are not a ‘knit-wit’ – come along for a
great day out - dads are invited to join in, too ….it is, after all, Father’s
Day!
“Hundreds of the handmade blankets will be
on display at the foot of the famous statue of Madiba for an official
photograph,” says Steyn. “This photograph will illustrate the goodwill of South
Africans and show the world the impact the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela
has had on all of us. Already, we have collected over 670 blankets – we hope to
collect hundreds more from our Kwa-Zulu Natal based ‘knit-wits’.”
The 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day Concert will take place on June 15, starting at 12h00 with the blanket handover
taking place at 14h30. There will be a designated 67 Blankets for Nelson
Mandela Day parking area. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own picnic
baskets and picnic blankets. Food and drinks can also be purchased at the
Capture Site.
Sound equipment and stage has been kindly
sponsored by Selbys. The MC for the day will be Brendan Grealy who has been
involved with the development of the Mandela Capture Site since its inception.
For more information, visit www.67blankets.com; Twitter - @67blankets
or Facebook - 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
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